Preconfigured Virtual Cycles for Optical Network Restoration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current optical networks face challenges in achieving almost instantaneous and reliable restoration from link or node failures while efficiently using restoration capacity, as dedicated restoration capacity is prohibitively expensive and existing shared mesh restoration methods require intermediate switching and wavelength conversions.
Innovation Solution
The design of survivable optical networks using preconfigured virtual cycles that allow multiple demands to share restoration capacity without intermediate switching or wavelength conversions, enabling end-to-end path protection by generating candidate cycles and assigning demands to these cycles based on shared restoration routes and wavelengths, optimizing wavelength cost, and resolving conflicts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dedicated restoration capacity is provided to each demand, then restoration reliability is improved, but network cost increases prohibitively
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple demands are merged onto shared preconfigured virtual cycles, allowing them to utilize the same restoration capacity. The patent combines multiple working routes and their corresponding restoration routes into shared virtual cycles, enabling cost-effective restoration without dedicated capacity for each demand.
Solution Approach 2:
The preconfigured virtual cycles serve multiple demands simultaneously, making the restoration capacity universal. A single virtual cycle can restore multiple different demands depending on which working route fails, eliminating the need for dedicated restoration paths for each demand.
2Quantity of substance
If shared mesh restoration methods are used, then restoration capacity efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases due to intermediate switching and wavelength conversions
Solution Approach 1:
The network is segmented into working routes and restoration routes that are clearly separated. Working routes carry traffic normally, while preconfigured virtual cycles provide restoration paths that are established in advance but remain dormant until needed, avoiding complex real-time switching decisions.
Solution Approach 2:
Restoration routes are preconfigured and established in advance as virtual cycles before any failure occurs. This preliminary setup eliminates the need for complex real-time path computation and switching decisions when failures happen, reducing device complexity while maintaining capacity efficiency.
3Loss of time
If preconfigured restoration methods are used, then restoration speed is improved, but restoration capacity consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The preconfigured virtual cycles are self-configuring and self-restoring. When a failure occurs, the system automatically activates the appropriate restoration route from the preconfigured cycles without requiring complex control plane intervention, achieving fast restoration while optimizing capacity usage through shared access.
Data Source
AI summary
The design of telecommunication networks is such that there is provision of end-to-end path protection to multiple demands under a single link or node failure in the networks. Restoration routes are provided on Preconfigured Virtual Cycles (PVC's), where each demand is assigned one restoration route and specific restoration wavelengths on a segment of one cycle. Multiple demands may share restoration wavelengths, and the number of restoration wavelengths may vary among the PVC links. First, a plurality of candidate PVC's are generated where each demand may be assigned to multiple candidates. Assignment of demands with common failure scenarios are allowed, under certain conditions, to the same PVC. Next, a set of PVC's is selected from among the candidates, while minimizing total reserved restoration capacity and ensuring that all demands are protected. Next duplicate assignments are eliminated. Finally, conflicts of wavelength assignments are resolved. The invention focuses primarily on optical networks.