Remote Optical Transceiver Management via Service Agent
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Solution Overview
Problem
Configuring and managing pluggable optical devices in optical networks often requires on-site presence, leading to bottlenecks and delays due to the need for physical proximity, especially when upgrades or software changes are necessary.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a service agent in the host optical network device that enables remote management of pluggable optical devices through virtualized transport functions, allowing for remote configuration and control via a server, which reduces the need for physical transport devices and enhances operational efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If on-site presence is required for configuring and managing pluggable optical devices, then direct control and configuration capability is maintained, but operational efficiency deteriorates due to bottlenecks and delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a service agent as an intermediary component embedded in the host optical network device. This service agent acts as a mediator between the remote management system and the pluggable optical device, enabling remote configuration and management operations without requiring on-site presence. The service agent receives management commands from remote systems, translates them into appropriate device-specific commands, and executes them locally, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining direct control capability and improving operational efficiency.
2Extent of automation
If physical transport devices are used for remote management, then direct hardware control is maintained, but hardware requirements and space consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical transport device approach with a software-based service agent implementation. Instead of using additional physical hardware components to enable remote management, the service agent is implemented as software embedded within the host optical network device's existing hardware. This substitution eliminates the need for separate physical transport devices while maintaining the ability to perform remote management operations, thus reducing hardware requirements and space consumption while improving automation extent.
3Productivity
If virtualized transport functions are implemented, then operational efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The service agent is designed with multi-functionality to handle various management operations including configuration, monitoring, diagnostics, and software updates of pluggable optical devices. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single universal service agent component, the patent achieves high operational efficiency without proportionally increasing device complexity. The service agent serves multiple purposes: it acts as a communication bridge, a command translator, an execution engine, and a status reporter, thereby improving productivity while keeping the added complexity manageable through functional consolidation.
Data Source
AI summary
Implementations for remotely managing an optical transceiver connected to a network device and optical network is described. A user can use a network device controller and optical transceiver controller in a remote server to communicate with the service agent in the network device and the optical transceiver to configure communications with the optical network through the optical transceiver. The service agent and its controller in the server can perform virtualized transport functions and the network device controller and the network device can, in some instances, implement layer 2/3 demarc.