Network device with integrated optical line system
AssigneeArista Networks, Inc.
InventorsHacene Chaouch, Andreas Bechtolsheim, Hugh Holbrook
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present disclosure include a pluggable optical line system module for amplification, multiplexing, and demultiplexing of coherent optical signals that can be integrated with a switch-router. Integration may include mechanical, electrical, and software control aspects. One example embodiment of the optical line system is in an industry standard small form factor pluggable module such as OSFP (octal small form factor pluggable) or QSFP (quad small form factor pluggable). When configured in a switch-router, the pluggable optical line is powered, managed and controlled by the switch-router which greatly reduces the cost, space, power and the management complexity of optical line systems.
Claims20
A network device comprising:
- a plurality of I/O (input/output) ports;
- a control plane in electrical connection to the plurality of I/O ports;
- a data plane in electrical connection to the plurality of I/O ports;
- and
- a pluggable optical line system module plugged into one of the plurality of I/O ports, wherein the pluggable optical line system module includes an interface in electrical connection with the control plane of the network device via said one of the plurality of I/O ports, wherein the pluggable optical line system module is absent an interface for an electrical connection to the data plane of the network device and has no electrical connection to the data plane of the network device when plugged into said one of the plurality of I/O ports.
A pluggable optical line system module comprising:
- a first optical interface to send and receive optical signals;
- a second optical interface to send and receive optical signals;
- optical amplification circuitry to communicatively couple the first optical interface and the second optical interface;
- and
- a control plane interface to be electrically connected a control plane of a network device when the pluggable optical line system module is plugged into a port of the network device,
- wherein the pluggable optical line system module is absent an interface that electrically connects to a data plane of the network device, wherein when the pluggable optical line system module is plugged into any port of the network device there is no electrical connection to the data plane of the network device.
A method in a network device comprising a control plane for monitoring and managing I/O ports of the network device and a data plane for receiving and transmitting packets received by the I/O ports of the network device, the method comprising the control plane:
- executing an optics control algorithm in response to a pluggable optical line system module being received in one of the I/O ports of the network device, the optics control algorithm for one or more of:
- configuring, monitoring, and managing the pluggable optical line system module, wherein the pluggable optical line system module has an electrical connection with the control plane of the network device and has no electrical connection to the data plane of the network device;
- monitoring components of the pluggable optical line system module;
- and
- in response to detecting errors or degraded performance among the monitored components, rerouting network traffic over one or more alternative paths that bypass the pluggable optical line system module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.