Optical Passband Grouping With Affinity Group IDs for WSS
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optical fragmentation in optical communication systems, caused by hardware limitations such as minimum passband widths of 37.5 GHz in WSS, restricts the loading of optical signals, reducing overall bandwidth.
Innovation Solution
A wavelength selective switch with a minimum passband width and a processor-based system that creates affinity groups of adjacent optical channels exceeding the minimum passband width, allowing simultaneous loading of these channels to mitigate optical fragmentation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a WSS with a minimum passband width of 37.5 GHz is used, then the hardware can operate reliably, but optical fragmentation occurs reducing bandwidth utilization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple adjacent optical channels (e.g., two 25 GHz channels) into a single loading group that is treated as one unit. This merging allows the combined group to meet the minimum passband width requirement of the WSS while maintaining efficient bandwidth utilization, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliable hardware operation and productivity.
2Ease of operation
If 25 GHz passbands are loaded systematically, then channel loading is simplified, but 12.5 GHz optical fragments are created where no data can be loaded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary grouping of adjacent optical channels into loading groups before the actual loading process. By pre-organizing channels into groups that meet minimum passband requirements, the system maintains loading simplicity while eliminating the creation of unusable optical fragments, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and quantity of usable bandwidth.
3Adaptability or versatility
If hardware limitations from different vendors are accommodated, then system compatibility is improved, but optical fragmentation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of channel grouping by creating loading groups based on the specific minimum passband width requirements of different WSS hardware. This allows the system to adapt to various vendor hardware specifications while maintaining efficient bandwidth utilization, resolving the contradiction between hardware compatibility and optical signal bandwidth.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are described herein. The system comprises a wavelength selective switch having a minimum passband width; a processor; and a memory storing a datastore and processor-executable instructions that when executed cause the processor to: receive a connection request comprising an optical channel; determine an affinity group ID of an affinity group associated with the requested optical channel, the affinity group being associated with two or more adjacent optical channels having a combined channel width equal to or greater than the minimum passband width; create a loading group based on the two or more adjacent optical channels associated with the affinity group; receive a loading request to load the optical channel associated with the affinity group; and in response to receiving the loading request, load the two or more adjacent optical channels associated with the affinity group.