3D Wavelength Path Visualization for Optical Network Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
In optical WDM networks, determining available wavelengths and routing them effectively is challenging, especially as networks expand, leading to issues with establishing connections and ensuring resilience, as existing methods lack efficient tools for visualizing and managing wavelength availability across complex topologies.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for determining wavelength availability in optical network topologies, allowing users to visualize and select paths, display wavelength utilization, and reroute traffic using wavelength interchange, enabling interactive feedback and efficient wavelength assignment and management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If WDM networks expand to increase traffic capacity, then network bandwidth and carrying capacity are improved, but wavelength availability management becomes more complex and difficult to visualize
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a visual copy or representation of the physical network topology and wavelength states through graphical user interface elements. This visual model allows network operators to perceive and manage wavelength availability across complex expanded networks without directly interacting with the physical complexity, resolving the contradiction between increased network capacity and management complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary visual interface layer between the physical WDM network and the operator. This intermediary translates complex wavelength states and network topology into intuitive visual representations, allowing operators to manage expanded network capacity while maintaining manageable complexity through the mediating visual system.
2Productivity
If more connections are created over the network, then network utilization is improved, but wavelength availability decreases making it harder to establish new connections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the visual interface continuously updates to reflect current wavelength availability and network state. This feedback allows operators to see real-time wavelength usage and make informed decisions about connection establishment, balancing network utilization with maintaining wavelength availability for future connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables preliminary visualization and planning of wavelength assignments before actual connection establishment. Operators can pre-visualize wavelength paths and availability, allowing them to plan connections that maintain future wavelength availability while achieving high current network utilization.
3Reliability
If contiguous wavelengths are required for resilient service, then network reliability is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring wavelength availability increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates visual copies of wavelength paths and their contiguous relationships in the graphical interface. This visual representation makes it easy to detect and measure whether contiguous wavelengths are available for resilient service paths, transforming a complex detection problem into an intuitive visual task.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses color coding to indicate wavelength availability states and contiguous wavelength relationships. Different colors represent different availability states, making it visually immediate to detect whether contiguous wavelengths are available for resilient service, greatly reducing the difficulty of wavelength availability detection.
Data Source
AI summary
Due to demand for more network bandwidth, a need for multi-user optical network topologies has, and will continue to, increase. A method or corresponding apparatus in embodiments of the present invention provide for an availability determination tool for determining and displaying wavelength and subrate availabilities within a network. Benefits of embodiments of a tool include allowing a user to identify the availability and capacity of any wavelength on any network, via an interactive graphical user interface, such as by using three-dimensional representations. In one embodiment, the disclosed availability determination tool allows users to locate and view any combination of available wavelengths between nodes in an optical network topology, and generate graphical and tabular reports of the availability in order to maintain an efficient and organized method or apparatus for determining and controlling wavelengths in a network. Consequently, service providers using the tool can keep performance rates high and costs low.