Span-Based Connection Aggregation for Optical Mesh Restoration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mesh restoration models do not effectively address the simultaneous failure of a large number of network connections due to transmission failures, leading to significant outages affecting many users, and fail to manage increased traffic growth and bandwidth demands in optical networks.
Innovation Solution
The method and system implement span-based connection aggregation, where multiple network connections are logically bundled and managed as a single connection, with alternative aggregation links defined to reroute traffic in case of failures, allowing for faster restoration and maintaining network performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If standard mesh restoration is used for each individual connection, then each connection can be restored independently, but the restoration process becomes extremely slow and complex when a large number of connections fail simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual connection restorations into a single aggregate restoration process. When connections share common failed spans, they are grouped together and restored as one unit rather than individually, dramatically reducing restoration time and complexity while maintaining complete recovery of all affected connections.
2Reliability
If multiple individual connections are managed separately, then each connection can be optimized independently, but the network cannot efficiently handle simultaneous failures affecting many users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual connection management processes into an aggregate restoration process. By identifying connections that share common failed spans and restoring them together as a group, the system maintains high reliability for all connections simultaneously affected by failures, rather than handling each connection separately which would be inefficient at scale.
3Productivity
If connection aggregation is implemented, then restoration speed increases significantly, but the network requires additional mechanisms to manage bundled connections and alternative paths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-identifying aggregate connections and their alternative paths before failures occur. The system proactively groups connections that share common spans and pre-determines restoration paths, so that when failures happen, the restoration process can execute immediately without complex real-time decision-making, reducing both time and operational complexity.
4Quantity of substance
If the network supports traffic growth in optical cross connects, then bandwidth demands are met, but network performance and restoration capabilities may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network restoration process into hierarchical levels: individual connections, aggregate connections sharing common spans, and alternative path options. This segmentation allows the system to efficiently manage large volumes of traffic by grouping connections logically, maintaining restoration capabilities even as network scale and complexity increase due to traffic growth.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a method and system for the restoration of an optical mesh network subsequent to the simultaneous failing of a large number of network connections due to a transmission failure. The system and method increase the restoration speed of a large number of failed network connections through connection aggregation. The system and method provide that connection aggregation is the logical bundling of a plurality of network connections across a network span. By enabling the bundling of these individual network connections transported over a particular span or spans, a network operator manages the bundle as if it were one network connection. The method and system provide that other network links support these bundled connections when the network segment that a managed bundle is traversing fails.