Physical Layer Controller Fake Keep Alive Messages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optical transport networks face contention between path protection and link protection mechanisms, leading to unnecessary disabling of one mechanism to prevent conflicts, whereas both should ideally operate simultaneously to enhance network resilience.
Innovation Solution
A controller at the physical layer detects failures and generates fake keep alive messages to prevent the execution of transport layer protection processes, allowing both mechanisms to operate concurrently by simulating normal operations and enabling the repair of physical layer failures without invoking transport layer protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If both path protection and link protection mechanisms are enabled simultaneously, then network resilience is enhanced, but mechanism contention and conflicts occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a controller as an intermediary component that mediates between the physical layer and transport layer protection mechanisms. The controller detects physical layer failures and generates fake keep alive messages to prevent transport layer protection escalation, thereby resolving the contention between simultaneous path and link protection mechanisms while maintaining network resilience
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of physical layer failures before the transport layer protection mechanisms are triggered. By detecting failures at the physical layer and generating fake keep alive messages in advance, the system prevents the harmful contention that would occur if both protection mechanisms operated independently without coordination
2Object-generated harmful factors
If one protection mechanism is disabled to prevent conflicts, then mechanism contention is avoided, but network resilience is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The controller acts as a mediator that allows both protection mechanisms to remain enabled by coordinating their operations. It prevents harmful contention through intelligent message generation while maintaining both mechanisms active, thereby preserving network resilience without suffering from mechanism conflicts
3Reliability
If transport layer protection processes are allowed to execute, then transport layer connectivity is restored, but physical layer repair is interfered with
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of physical layer failures and generates fake keep alive messages before transport layer protection processes are triggered. This preliminary action maintains transport layer connectivity perception while preventing the escalation that would interfere with physical layer repair operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful transport layer protection escalation into a beneficial fake keep alive message that maintains connectivity perception. By generating these fake messages, the system prevents harmful interference with physical layer repair while maintaining the appearance of normal transport layer operation
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are provided for detecting at a controller associated with a physical layer of a network an occurrence of a failure within the physical layer of the network. In response to detecting the failure, the controller sends messages to at least first and second nodes in a transport layer of the network, where the messages are configured to indicate normal operations in the physical layer so as to prevent execution of transport layer protection processes for a period of time.