Virtual 1:N Automatic Protection Switching for Optical Network Interfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional 1:N automatic protection switching in optical network interface equipment is complex and costly, requiring synchronized switchover actions and expensive components, while existing solutions like 1+1 and facility protection schemes have reliability and cost issues.
Innovation Solution
Implementing virtual 1:N automatic protection switching, where N optical network interface cards are configured with a single protection card maintaining a 1-to-1 ratio, allowing for automatic switchover and dynamic configuration changes between equipment and facility protection schemes without the need for complex protocols, reducing component costs and improving reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional 1:N automatic protection switching is implemented, then cost is reduced by sharing protection resources, but device complexity increases due to synchronized switchover requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the protection switching function into independent per-interface operations. Each working interface has its own protecting interface and can switch independently without requiring coordination with other interfaces. This eliminates the complex synchronized switchover protocol while maintaining the cost benefits of sharing protection resources across multiple working interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtual protecting interface as an intermediary layer that abstracts the complexity of synchronized switchover. The virtual protecting interface coordinates the switching operations, allowing multiple working interfaces to share protection resources without requiring direct complex interaction between all interfaces.
2Reliability
If 1+1 equipment protection is used, then reliability is improved by having separate protection cards, but cost increases due to requiring separate protection card for each working card
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple protection functions into a single physical protection card that can protect multiple working interfaces. By combining the protection resources on one card and using virtual protecting interfaces, the system achieves reliability comparable to 1+1 equipment protection while reducing the quantity of protection cards required from N to 1.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection card is designed with universal functionality to protect any of the N working interfaces through virtual protecting interfaces. This multi-functional design allows a single protection card to perform the role of multiple dedicated protection cards, reducing hardware costs while maintaining reliability.
3Quantity of substance
If facility protection is used, then cost is reduced by having working and protection interfaces on the same ONIC, but reliability deteriorates because ONIC failure affects both working and protection interfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of protection interfaces that are logically separate from the working interfaces even when physically located on the same ONIC. These virtual protecting interfaces are software-defined and can be independently managed, providing logical isolation that maintains reliability while allowing physical consolidation to reduce hardware costs.
Data Source
AI summary
The subject matter described herein includes providing virtual 1:N automatic protection switching and dynamic, in service configuration change for optical network interface equipment. According to one aspect of the subject matter described herein, a method for providing virtual 1:N automatic protection switching (APS) for optical network interface equipment is disclosed. The method includes configuring N optical network interface cards (ONICs) as working cards, each working card having sending and receiving optical interfaces, wherein N is an integer greater than 1. A single ONIC is configured as a protection card for providing N optical interfaces for providing redundant interface protection for each of the optical interfaces on the N working cards. In response to detecting a failure of one of the N working cards or a failure of one of the optical interfaces on one of the N working cards, optical networking communications that would have been sent to or received by the failed card are automatically sent and received using a protecting interface on the protection card that is associated with the failed card.