Universal Service Transport Multiplexing for Mixed Traffic Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies face challenges in efficiently switching and synchronizing packet-switched and circuit-switched traffic over shared networks, such as SONET/SDH and Ethernet, due to limitations in multiplexing and demultiplexing various traffic types without significant overhead or bandwidth utilization issues.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of Universal Service Transport (UST) multiplexing technology, which uses a switch fabric to separate and switch packet-switched and circuit-switched traffic using data type transition indicators, such as opcode fields, to manage transitions between different traffic streams within a single link, enabling seamless transport and synchronization across networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If packet-switched and circuit-switched traffic are transported separately over shared networks, then network management and switching are simplified, but bandwidth utilization decreases and network efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines packet-switched and circuit-switched traffic into a single multiplexed stream using UST multiplexing. The switch fabric receives both traffic types separately, multiplexes them into one stream with appropriate delimiters, and transports them over the same physical link, thereby improving bandwidth utilization while maintaining manageable switching operations through dedicated multiplexing logic
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the multiplexed stream into distinct packet-switched and circuit-switched portions using delimiters and control characters. The switch fabric identifies and separates these traffic types by detecting delimiter positions, allowing appropriate routing to packet or circuit switching paths while maintaining efficient shared link utilization
2Quantity of substance
If multiple traffic types are multiplexed over a single link, then bandwidth utilization improves, but signal synchronization and traffic separation become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces delimiters as intermediary control characters within the multiplexed stream to mark transitions between packet-switched and circuit-switched traffic. These delimiters act as synchronization markers that enable the receiving end to easily identify traffic type boundaries and maintain proper synchronization without complex analysis of the underlying traffic patterns
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses different delimiter characters (such as SO and SI control characters) to indicate different traffic states or types, analogous to color coding. This allows the receiving system to quickly identify and differentiate between packet-switched and circuit-switched portions of the multiplexed stream through simple character recognition rather than complex signal analysis
3Productivity
If UST multiplexing is implemented to transport both traffic types simultaneously, then network capacity increases, but overhead for managing transitions between traffic streams is added
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses minimal delimiter insertion (only at transition points between traffic types) rather than continuous overhead signaling. This partial action approach provides sufficient synchronization and traffic identification information while minimizing the bandwidth consumed by control overhead, thereby maintaining high network capacity
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus comprising a switch fabric coupled to a plurality of interfaces and configured to switch a plurality of universal service transport (UST) multiplexing (USTM) data streams between the interfaces, wherein the USTM data streams comprise packet-switched traffic, circuit-switched traffic, and transitional signaling that indicates a change of state between the packet-switched traffic and the circuit-switched traffic, wherein the transitional signaling does not indicate the state in every octet of the USTM data streams. Also disclosed is a network component comprising at least one processor coupled to a memory and configured to receive a data that corresponds to a flow, identify the flow using a flow map, determine whether there is a change in a state of the flow, send transitional signaling on a USTM data stream that indicates the state of the flow if the state of flow has changed, and send the data on the USTM data stream.