Pre-configured Shared Data Path Allocation for Fast Network Restoration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mesh networks face challenges in efficiently allocating shared data paths due to unpredictable triggering events and the need for fast link restoration, which results in significant setup delays and underutilization of network resources, particularly in high-speed data networks like SONET rings.
Innovation Solution
The network is pre-configured to allow any primary data path to utilize a shared path without signaling, enabling immediate data transmission on the shared path upon failure detection, with automatic or signaling-based blocking of other paths to prevent interference, thereby reducing restoration time and setup delays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If 1+1 protection schemes are used in SONET networks, then fast recovery is achieved, but 50% of network resources go unused
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple primary data paths are merged to share a common backup path. Instead of having dedicated backup paths for each primary path, the invention combines multiple primary paths (e.g., paths A, B, and C) to share a single backup path, thereby reducing the number of unused resources while maintaining protection capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The backup path is designed to serve multiple primary paths simultaneously. A single backup path can be activated to protect any of the primary paths that fail, making the backup infrastructure universal rather than dedicated to a single primary path, thus improving resource utilization.
2Loss of energy
If multiple primary data paths share one backup path, then network resource efficiency increases, but the ability to provide backup path when more than one primary path fails decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The network configuration is made dynamic rather than static. When a failure is detected, the system dynamically reconfigures the shared backup path to serve the failed primary path. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain reliability even with shared backup resources, as the backup path can be reallocated based on actual failure conditions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If signaling commands are sent to reconfigure mesh network components, then shared data path allocation is achieved, but restoration time exceeds 50 ms constraint
Solution Approach 1:
The network is pre-configured with all necessary path information and routing logic before failures occur. The shared backup path is pre-established and ready to be activated immediately upon failure detection, eliminating the need for time-consuming signaling commands and dynamic reconfiguration during the restoration process.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention skips the traditional signaling and reconfiguration steps by having the backup path pre-configured and ready for immediate activation. When a failure occurs, the system rushes through the restoration process by directly activating the pre-prepared backup path without the intermediate signaling commands that would otherwise be required.
4Adaptability or versatility
If optical mesh networks are used instead of SONET rings, then network flexibility and path sharing capability improve, but fast restoration capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The optical mesh network is pre-configured with backup path information and routing logic before failures occur. This preliminary configuration enables the mesh network to achieve fast restoration comparable to SONET rings, overcoming the traditional disadvantage of optical mesh networks while retaining their flexibility and path sharing capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A fast shared path allocation technique is disclosed. Network nodes are pre-configured such that data from multiple data sources or multiple primary data paths may be sent via a shared secondary data path. Merge nodes merge input from a plurality of input ports onto an output port. The merge nodes implement a blocking function such that upon receipt of a signal from one of the input ports, the signals from the other input ports are blocked from reaching the output port. Upon a triggering event indicating a need to allocate the shared path, the data is first sent to the merge node where it is appropriately merged onto the output link and transmitted towards its destination. Only after the data has been sent does the merge node block the remaining input ports from reaching the output port. This blocking may be performed automatically by the merge node or by conventional network signaling.