Methods and apparatuses for DWDM multi-mode switching router and dynamic multi-mode configuration and reconfiguration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9306698-B2
Application number	US-201213599912-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2012
Priority date	Aug 30, 2011
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

A multi-mode configuration module for managing switching for an EPS, OCS, and OCS mode is provided. The multi-mode configuration module may include a multi-mode configuration processor, wherein said multi-mode configuration processor receives configuration information for an EPS, OCS, or OBS mode. The module may also provide an optical configuration processor coupled to said multi-mode configuration processor, wherein said optical configuration processor manages wavelength routing of an optical switching fabric; and an electronic configuration processor coupled to said multi-mode configuration processor, wherein said electronic configuration processor manages routing of an electronic switching fabric.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for managing switching configurations for a multi-mode switching router, the method comprising:
receiving configuration information at said multi-mode switching router in an electronic packet switching (EPS), optical burst switching (OBS), or optical circuit switching (OCS) mode format;
determining a switching mode from said configuration information,
wherein if the switching mode is an OBS or OCS mode, selecting an available outgoing optical wavelength according to an incoming optical wavelength, and
if the switching mode is an EPS mode, selecting an available outgoing optical wavelength; and

converting said configuration information into unified parameters that are mode independent.

2. The method of claim 1 , if the switching mode is said EPS mode the method further comprises,
selecting an available electronic input port, wherein EPS mode data is routed to said available electronic input port by an optical switching fabric; and
selecting an available electronic output port, wherein said EPS mode data is routed to said available electronic output port by an electronic switching fabric.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising configuring said electronic switch fabric in accordance with said available electronic input port and said available electronic output ports selected for said EPS mode data.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring an optical switching fabric in accordance said available outgoing optical wavelength selected for said EPS mode.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein if said outgoing optical wavelength and said incoming optical wavelength for said OBS or OCS mode are the same, configuring an optical switching fabric to route data from said incoming optical wavelength to an available output.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein if said outgoing optical wavelength and said incoming optical wavelength for said OBS or OCS mode are different, converting said incoming optical wavelength to said available outgoing optical wavelength for said OBS mode or said OCS mode.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
selecting an available electronic input port, wherein OBS or OCS mode data is routed to said available electronic input port by an optical switching fabric; and
selecting an available electronic output port, wherein said OBS or OCS mode data is routed to said available electronic output port by an electronic switching fabric.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising configuring said electronic switch fabric in accordance with said available electronic input port and said available electronic output ports selected for said OBS or OCS mode data.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising configuring said optical switching fabric in accordance with said available outgoing optical wavelength selected for said OBS mode or said OCS mode.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising allocating a first channel for the OCS mode or EPS mode for an infinite amount of time.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein a status of the first channel allocated for the OCS or EPS mode is updated when a teardown request is received.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising allocating a second channel for an OBS mode, wherein the second channel is allocated for a burst duration starting from a burst arrival time.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a start time and end time from the unified parameters, wherein an allocated channel is determined in accordance with the start time.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein channel status information of the allocated channel is updated with information from the unified parameters.

15. A multi-mode configuration module for managing switching for an electronic packet switching (EPS), optical burst switching (OBS), or optical circuit switching (OCS) mode, the multi-mode configuration module comprising:
a multi-mode configuration processor, wherein said multi-mode configuration processor receives configuration information for an EPS, OCS, or OBS mode;
an optical configuration processor coupled to said multi-mode configuration processor, wherein said optical configuration processor manages wavelength routing of an optical switching fabric;
an electronic configuration processor coupled to said multi-mode configuration processor, wherein said electronic configuration processor manages routing of an electronic switching fabric; and
an optical wavelength status unit coupled to said optical configuration processor, wherein said optical wavelength status unit maintains status information for outgoing wavelengths of said optical switching fabric.

16. The module of claim 15 , further comprising:
an electronic input port status unit coupled to said electronic configuration processor, wherein said electronic input port status unit maintains status information for input ports of said electronic switching fabric; and
an electronic output port status unit coupled to said electronic configuration processor, wherein said electronic output port status unit maintains status information for output ports of said electronic switching fabric.

17. The module of claim 15 , wherein the multi-mode configuration packet processor comprises:
a configuration extractor for extracting said configuration information from a configuration packet;
a parameter equalizer coupled to said configuration extractor, wherein said parameter equalizer converts said configuration information into unified parameters that are mode independent; and
a configuration sequencer coupled to said parameter equalizer, wherein said configuration sequencer sequences manages configuration operations of said electronic configuration processor and said optical configuration processor.

18. The module of claim 17 , further comprising allocating a first channel for the OCS mode or EPS mode for an infinite amount of time.

19. The module of claim 18 , wherein a status of the first channel allocated for the OCS or EPS mode is updated when a teardown request is received.

20. The module of claim 17 , further comprising allocating a second channel for an OBS mode, wherein the second channel is allocated for a burst duration starting from a burst arrival time.

21. The module of claim 17 , further comprising determining a start time and end time from the unified parameters, wherein an allocated channel is determined in accordance with the start time.

22. The module of claim 21 , wherein channel status information of the allocated channel is updated with information from the unified parameters.

Assignees

• Chen Yuhua
• Tang Wenjing
• Univ Houston System

Inventors

• Chen Yuhua
• Tang Wenjing

Classifications

• H04Q11/0005 Primary

  Switch and router aspects · CPC title

• H04J14/0212 Primary

  using optical switches or wavelength selective switches [WSS] · CPC title

• H04Q2011/0039

  Electrical control · CPC title

• H04J14/0256

  at the optical channel layer · CPC title

• H04J14/0257

  Wavelength assignment algorithms · CPC title