Photonic routing systems and methods computing loop-free topologies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9509428-B2
Application number	US-201514796089-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2015
Priority date	Feb 13, 2012
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

Systems and methods for routing wavelengths in an optical network include responsive to a path request for a wavelength or group of wavelengths, determining a path through the optical network; determining a location on the path where wavelength blocking should occur to form a loop-free path in the optical network; and setting the wavelength blocking at the location. The optical network can utilize a broadcast and select architecture and the wavelength blocking is configured to prevent the wavelength or group of wavelengths from looping back on a port where the wavelength or group of wavelengths has already been received on. The optical network can utilize an all-broadcast architecture and the wavelength blocking is configured to prevent multiple paths for the wavelength or group of wavelengths by constraining the wavelength or group of wavelengths to a single path through the optical network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for routing wavelengths in an optical network, the method comprising:
responsive to a path request for a wavelength or group of wavelengths, determining a path through the optical network;
determining a location on the path where wavelength blocking should occur to form a loop-free path in the optical network; and
setting the wavelength blocking at the location.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical network utilizes a broadcast and select architecture and the wavelength blocking is configured to prevent the wavelength or group of wavelengths from looping back on a port where the wavelength or group of wavelengths has already been received on.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical network utilizes an all-broadcast architecture and the wavelength blocking is configured to prevent multiple paths for the wavelength or group of wavelengths by constraining the wavelength or group of wavelengths to a single path through the optical network.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining a location on the path where wavelength blocking should occur utilizes a spanning tree in the optical network from any node in the optical network to a root node, and wherein the wavelength blocking is based on the spanning tree.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining a location on the path where wavelength blocking should occur utilizes a shortest path tree in the optical network from any node in the optical network to a root node, and wherein the wavelength blocking is based on the shortest path tree.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining a location on the path where wavelength blocking should occur utilizes Ethernet Ring Protection Switching as a control protocol.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining a location on the path where wavelength blocking should occur utilizes an optical routing protocol associated with the optical network.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining a location on the path where wavelength blocking should occur utilizes link state protocols and associated link state messages to determine the wavelength blocking.

9. A system for routing wavelengths in an optical network, the system comprising:
a processor communicatively coupled to the optical network; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to
responsive to a path request for a wavelength or group of wavelengths, determine a path through the optical network,
determine a location on the path where wavelength blocking should occur to form a loop-free path in the optical network, and
cause the wavelength blocking at the location.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the optical network utilizes a broadcast and select architecture and the wavelength blocking is configured to prevent the wavelength or group of wavelengths from looping back on a port where the wavelength or group of wavelengths has already been received on.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the optical network utilizes an all-broadcast architecture and the wavelength blocking is configured to prevent multiple paths for the wavelength or group of wavelengths by constraining the wavelength or group of wavelengths to a single path through the optical network.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the determining a location on the path where wavelength blocking should occur utilizes a spanning tree in the optical network from any node in the optical network to a root node, and wherein the wavelength blocking is based on the spanning tree.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the determining a location on the path where wavelength blocking should occur utilizes a shortest path tree in the optical network from any node in the optical network to a root node, and wherein the wavelength blocking is based on the shortest path tree.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the determining a location on the path where wavelength blocking should occur utilizes Ethernet Ring Protection Switching as a control protocol.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the determining a location on the path where wavelength blocking should occur utilizes an optical routing protocol associated with the optical network.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the determining a location on the path where wavelength blocking should occur utilizes link state protocols and associated link state messages to determine the wavelength blocking.

17. The system of claim 9 , wherein the system is a Path Computation Element.

18. A node in an optical network, comprising:
a plurality of degrees connected to the optical network;
optical devices configured to broadcast a plurality of wavelengths through the plurality of degrees;
selectively enabled blocking elements at the plurality of degrees; and
a processor configured to selectively enable a blocking element responsive to a loop-free path computed in a network in which node participates, based on a routing protocol which computes the loop-free path for at least one wavelength of the plurality of wavelengths.

19. The node of claim 18 , wherein the optical network utilizes a broadcast and select architecture and the blocking element is configured to prevent the at least one wavelength from looping back on a port where the at least one wavelength has already been received on.

20. The node of claim 18 , wherein the optical network utilizes an all-broadcast architecture and the blocking element is configured to prevent multiple paths for at least one wavelength by constraining the at least one wavelength to a single path through the optical network.

Assignees

• Ciena Corp

Inventors

• Boertjes David Weldon
• Shew Stephen Daniel

Classifications

• H04J14/02 Primary

  Wavelength-division multiplex systems · CPC title

• H04J14/0297

  Optical equipment protection · CPC title

• H04Q2011/0015

  using splitting combining · CPC title

• H04J14/0275

  using an optical service channel · CPC title

• H04L45/28

  using route fault recovery · CPC title