Optical Transport Ring Rerouting for Data Center Resilience
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data center networks lack effective mechanisms for quickly rerouting network traffic in response to connectivity disruptions within optical transport rings, leading to potential data loss and inefficiencies in wavelength usage.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a distributed data center system where optical transport devices are reconfigured to establish direct connectivity between spine network devices, allowing packets to be rerouted via alternative optical paths, and the automatic adjustment of layer three routing information to facilitate multi-hop routes, ensuring continuous network traffic even during disruptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If optical transport devices are reconfigured to establish direct connectivity between spine network devices for rapid rerouting, then network reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-establishes multiple optical paths and configures backup routes before disruptions occur. When a connectivity disruption is detected, the system can immediately switch to pre-configured alternative paths without requiring complex real-time reconfiguration, thus improving reliability while managing device complexity through advance preparation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary control mechanism that manages the rerouting process. This intermediary layer handles the complexity of path reconfiguration, allowing the core optical transport devices to operate with simpler, pre-defined routing logic while still achieving reliable rapid rerouting through the coordinated action of the intermediary control system
2Reliability
If alternative optical paths are used for rerouting traffic during disruptions, then network resilience is improved, but wavelength usage efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic wavelength allocation and path selection mechanisms that adapt to current network conditions. When rerouting traffic through alternative optical paths, the system dynamically optimizes wavelength usage by selecting paths with available wavelength resources, thus maintaining network resilience while minimizing wavelength usage inefficiency through real-time adaptation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes operational parameters such as wavelength assignment and path selection based on network state. During disruptions, the system modifies wavelength allocation parameters to utilize available capacity on alternative paths efficiently, transforming the static wavelength assignment into a dynamic parameter that adapts to ensure both resilience and wavelength usage efficiency
Data Source
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AI summary
In response to a connectivity disruption in an underlying optical transport ring supporting a routing and packet switching topology, one or more of optical devices of the optical transport ring are modified to establish connectivity between spine nodes in different data centers to reroute communication between at least a subset of the leaf network devices so as to traverse an inter-spine route via the optical modified optical transport ring. That is, in response to a connectivity disruption in a portion of underlying optical transport ring, one or more optical devices within the optical transport ring are modified such that packets between at least a portion of the leaf devices are rerouted along optical paths between at least two of the spine network devices.