Optical Network Design System for Proactive Risk Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network management systems lack efficient methods for assessing and mitigating physical transport risks in optical transport networks, leading to high risks of major outages due to fiber cuts, equipment failures, and traffic aggregation on common spans, with manual processes failing to provide predictive or real-time monitoring for route performance optimization.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a controller communicating with a fiber infrastructure database, a performance risk database, and an external risk database, using a modeling component to predict potential customer impacts and generate recommended route designs and automated orders for rerouting traffic around high-risk spans, incorporating natural and unnatural risk data for proactive network resilience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual processes are used to filter operations performance data against current network capacity utilization, then some basic risk assessment can be performed, but the process is inefficient and lacks predictive capability and real-time monitoring
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical processes with an automated electronic system that collects, analyzes, and processes network performance data in real-time. The system uses automated data collection from multiple sources, predictive analytics engines, and machine learning algorithms to eliminate manual filtering and assessment operations, thereby improving both efficiency and predictive capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous feedback loops where network performance data is constantly collected, analyzed, and used to update risk assessments and predictive models. The system provides real-time feedback on network health, risk levels, and potential failures, enabling dynamic adjustment of network operations and proactive mitigation before outages occur
2Productivity
If traffic aggregation is increased on common physical spans to improve network utilization, then capacity efficiency improves, but the risk of major outages increases when physical paths fail
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary risk assessments and predictive analytics to identify potential failure points before they cause outages. The system proactively identifies spans with high risk levels and implements preventive measures such as traffic rerouting, capacity adjustments, or maintenance scheduling before failures occur, thereby maintaining high utilization while reducing outage risk
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements protective measures in advance by identifying critical spans and preparing contingency plans before failures occur. The system maintains backup capacity, pre-configures alternative routes, and establishes emergency protocols for high-risk spans, providing a cushion against potential outages while allowing aggressive traffic aggregation on monitored spans
3Device complexity
If long single-threaded unprotected spans are used to reduce network complexity, then deployment is simpler, but the risk of customer-impacting outages increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables long spans to effectively protect themselves through automated monitoring and self-healing capabilities. The system continuously monitors span health, detects degradation or failures, and automatically triggers protective actions such as traffic rerouting or span isolation without requiring manual intervention, thereby maintaining simplicity while improving reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an automated risk management system as an intermediary between the physical span and the traffic it carries. This intermediary layer provides predictive analytics, real-time monitoring, and automated protective actions that shield the simple long-span architecture from causing customer outages, effectively decoupling complexity from the transport layer
4Reliability
If capital investment is increased to make the network more resilient, then network reliability improves, but the cost of network operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses predictive analytics and risk assessment to dynamically adjust network parameters such as traffic routing, capacity allocation, and protection levels based on real-time risk levels. The system optimizes the balance between resilience and cost by implementing protective measures only when and where risk levels justify the investment, rather than uniformly across the entire network
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies differentiated resilience strategies to different parts of the network based on local risk assessments. High-risk spans receive enhanced monitoring and protection, while low-risk spans operate with minimal intervention. This localized approach to network resilience ensures capital investment is concentrated where it provides maximum value, avoiding unnecessary spending on already-reliable segments
Data Source
AI summary
A system for network design comprising: a controller in communication with an input/output device, the controller being in communication with at least one fiber infrastructure database including at least one of a link performance data and a service volume data and a performance risk database; a modeling component configured to predict a number of potential customers impacted by a loss of a span and a number of circuits; wherein the controller is in communication with the modeling component, the controller being configured to merge data from the fiber infrastructure database and performance risk database to provide at least one of a recommended route design and an automated order to define a new route.