Virtual ONU Migration for Fiber-to-the-Home Maintenance Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost and complexity of maintaining Optical Network Units (ONUs) in optical fiber networks, particularly due to their extensive functions and widespread deployment, lead to significant maintenance challenges and expenses in fiber-to-the-home scenarios.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves shifting the ONU control plane, PON MAC, and QoS functions from the existing ONU to customer premises equipment, with the ONU acting as a physical converter, thereby reducing its maintenance burden and allowing it to only handle PON and user-side physical layer frame conversions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If ONU is deployed near user side in fiber-to-drop scenario, then optical fiber coverage is extended, but maintenance complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The ONU device is segmented into two independent parts: ONU physical converter (remaining at carrier side) and ONU control plane function (migrated to CPE). This segmentation allows the physical converter to be simple and easy to maintain, while the intelligent control functions are relocated to user-side equipment, thereby extending fiber coverage to drop points without increasing maintenance complexity at the remote location.
Solution Approach 2:
The ONU control plane function and PON MAC function are extracted from the traditional ONU device and migrated to the CPE. This extraction removes the complex maintenance burden from the remotely deployed ONU physical converter, allowing it to be deployed near users without proportionally increasing maintenance complexity and cost.
2Adaptability or versatility
If ONU completes multiple functions (PON MAC, control plane, QoS), then network functionality is comprehensive, but maintenance cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The CPE acts as an intermediary that hosts the ONU control plane function and PON MAC function. This intermediary approach allows the ONU physical converter to remain simple (easy to maintain) while the comprehensive network functions are performed by the CPE, which is under user control and not subject to carrier maintenance constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The CPE at the user side self-provides the ONU control plane and PON MAC functions, eliminating the need for carrier maintenance personnel to service these functions at remotely deployed ONUs. The user-side equipment independently handles control and MAC functions, reducing carrier maintenance costs while maintaining comprehensive network functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide an access system and a communication method for an optical fiber network. A virtual ONU located on a user side is established, and an ONU control plane function, a PON MAC function, and a QoS function on an existing ONU is moved downwards to a virtual ONU. After the forgoing function modules are removed from the existing ONU, the existing ONU becomes an ONU physical converter and only has a function of converting the PON physical layer frame and the first user side physical layer frame.