Time synchronization system, receiving server and time synchronization method

A receiving server configured to receive optical signals from a plurality of transmitting servers,

• wherein the plurality of transmitting servers and the receiving server are connected via a queueless network (NW) formed by connecting a plurality of optical cross connects (OXCs) by optical fibers, each of the plurality of OXCs configured to perform switching processing of performing transmission of an optical signal while switching the optical signal to a destination route in the form of light,
• wherein the receiving server is configured to perform processing of:
• for each of the plurality of transmitting servers, retrieving transmission distance information on a transmission distance through which the optical signal is transmitted between the transmitting server and the receiving server;
• receiving an optical signal on which reference time information based on a transmitting side current time having been synchronized with a reference time that ticks at regular intervals is superimposed from each of the plurality of transmitting servers;
• for each of the plurality of transmitting servers, dividing the transmission distance, which is based on the retrieved transmission distance information retrieved for the transmitting server, by a light speed, which is an optical signal speed in the queueless NW, to calculate a transmission delay time between the transmitting server and the receiving server;
• for each of the plurality of transmitting servers, adding the calculated transmission delay time calculated for the transmitting server to the transmitting side current time, which is based on the received reference time information received from the transmitting server, to calculate a receiving side current time related to the transmitting server;
• and
• detecting that, regarding the calculated receiving side current time related to one transmitting server of the plurality of transmitting servers, when a time difference between a receiving side current time calculated this time for the one transmitting server and a receiving side current time calculated last time for the one transmitting server differs from a time difference between the receiving side current time calculated last time for the one transmitting server and a receiving side current time calculated at a time preceding the last time for the one transmitting server by a predetermined threshold value or more, the receiving side current time calculated this time is abnormal.

A time synchronization method of a time synchronization system, the time synchronization system comprising:

• a queueless network (NW) formed by connecting a plurality of optical cross connects (OXCs) by optical fibers, each of the plurality of OXCs configured to perform switching processing of performing transmission of an optical signal while switching the optical signal to a destination route in the form of light;
• and
• an NW controller, a plurality of transmitting servers, and a receiving server, which are connected to the queueless NW so as to be able to transmit an optical signal,
• the time synchronization method comprising steps of:
• by the NW controller, for each of the plurality of transmitting servers, setting, based on NW topology information related to the queueless NW, transmission distance information on a transmission distance through which an optical signal is transmitted from the transmitting server to the receiving server via the queueless NW to the receiving server;
• by each of the plurality of transmitting servers,
• receiving a reference time that ticks at regular intervals,
• generating reference time information based on a transmitting side current time synchronized with the received reference time, and
• transmitting an optical signal on which the generated reference time information is superimposed to the receiving server via the queueless NW;
• by the receiving server, for each of the plurality of transmitting servers, after receiving the reference time information from the transmitting server, dividing the transmission distance, which is based on the transmission distance information set by the NW controller for the transmitting server, by a light speed, which is an optical signal speed in the queueless NW, to calculate a transmission delay time between the transmitting server and the receiving server;
• by the receiving server, for each of the plurality of transmitting servers, adding, by the receiving server, the calculated transmission delay time of the transmitting server to the transmitting side current time, which is based on the reference time information of the transmitting server, to calculate a receiving side current time related to the transmitting server;
• and
• by the receiving server, detecting that, regarding the calculated receiving side current time related to one transmitting server of the plurality of transmitting servers, when a time difference between a receiving side current time calculated this time for the one transmitting server and a receiving side current time calculated last time for the one transmitting server differs from a time difference between the receiving side current time calculated last time for the one transmitting server and a receiving side current time calculated at a time preceding the last time for the one transmitting server by a predetermined threshold value or more, the receiving side current time calculated this time is abnormal.

A time synchronization system comprising:

• a queueless network (NW) formed by connecting a plurality of optical cross connects (OXCs) by optical fibers, each of the plurality of OXCs configured to perform switching processing of performing transmission of an optical signal while switching the optical signal to a destination route in the form of light;
• and
• an NW controller, a plurality of transmitting servers, and a receiving server, which are connected to the queueless NW so as to be able to transmit an optical signal,
• wherein the NW controller is configured to, for each of the plurality of transmitting servers, perform processing of setting, based on NW topology information related to the queueless NW, transmission distance information on a transmission distance through which an optical signal is transmitted from the transmitting server to the receiving server via the queueless NW to the receiving server,
• wherein each of the plurality of transmitting servers is configured to perform processing of:
• receiving a reference time that ticks at regular intervals;
• generating reference time information based on a transmitting side current time synchronized with the received reference time;
• and
• transmitting an optical signal on which the generated reference time information is superimposed to the receiving server via the queueless NW, and
• wherein the receiving server is configured to perform processing of:
• for each of the plurality of transmitting servers, after receiving the reference time information from the transmitting server, dividing the transmission distance, which is based on the transmission distance information set by the NW controller for the transmitting server, by a light speed, which is an optical signal speed in the queueless NW, to calculate a transmission delay time between the transmitting server and the receiving server;
• for each of the plurality of transmitting servers, adding the calculated transmission delay time of the transmitting server to the transmitting side current time, which is based on the reference time information of the transmitting server, to calculate a receiving side current time related to the transmitting server;
• and
• detecting that, regarding the calculated receiving side current time related to one transmitting server of the plurality of transmitting servers, when a receiving side current time calculated this time for the one transmitting server differs from a receiving side current time calculated in the past for the one transmitting server, the receiving side current time calculated this time is abnormal.

A receiving server configured to receive optical signals from a plurality of transmitting servers,

• wherein the plurality of transmitting servers and the receiving server are connected via a queueless network (NW) formed by connecting a plurality of optical cross connects (OXCs) by optical fibers, each of the plurality of OXCs configured to perform switching processing of performing transmission of an optical signal while switching the optical signal to a destination route in the form of light,
• wherein the receiving server is configured to perform processing of:
• for each of the plurality of transmitting servers, retrieving transmission distance information on a transmission distance through which the optical signal is transmitted between the transmitting server and the receiving server;
• receiving an optical signal on which reference time information based on a transmitting side current time having been synchronized with a reference time that ticks at regular intervals is superimposed from each of the plurality of transmitting servers;
• for each of the plurality of transmitting servers, dividing the transmission distance, which is based on the retrieved transmission distance information retrieved for the transmitting server, by a light speed, which is an optical signal speed in the queueless NW, to calculate a transmission delay time between the transmitting server and the receiving server;
• for each of the plurality of transmitting servers, adding the calculated transmission delay time calculated for the transmitting server to the transmitting side current time, which is based on the received reference time information received from the transmitting server, to calculate a receiving side current time related to the transmitting server;
• and
• detecting that, regarding the calculated receiving side current time related to one transmitting server of the plurality of transmitting servers, when a receiving side current time calculated this time for the one transmitting server differs from a receiving side current time calculated in the past for the one transmitting server, the receiving side current time calculated this time is abnormal.

A time synchronization method of a time synchronization system, the time synchronization system comprising:

• a queueless network (NW) formed by connecting a plurality of optical cross connects (OXCs) by optical fibers, each of the plurality of OXCs configured to perform switching processing of performing transmission of an optical signal while switching the optical signal to a destination route in the form of light;
• and
• an NW controller, a plurality of transmitting servers, and a receiving server, which are connected to the queueless NW so as to be able to transmit an optical signal,
• the time synchronization method comprising steps of:
• by the NW controller, for each of the plurality of transmitting servers, setting, based on NW topology information related to the queueless NW, transmission distance information on a transmission distance through which an optical signal is transmitted from the transmitting server to the receiving server via the queueless NW to the receiving server;
• by each of the plurality of transmitting servers,
• receiving a reference time that ticks at regular intervals,
• generating reference time information based on a transmitting side current time synchronized with the received reference time, and
• transmitting an optical signal on which the generated reference time information is superimposed to the receiving server via the queueless NW;
• by the receiving server, for each of the plurality of transmitting servers, after receiving the reference time information from the transmitting server, dividing the transmission distance, which is based on the transmission distance information set by the NW controller for the transmitting server, by a light speed, which is an optical signal speed in the queueless NW, to calculate a transmission delay time between the transmitting server and the receiving server;
• by the receiving server, for each of the plurality of transmitting servers, adding the calculated transmission delay time of the transmitting server to the transmitting side current time, which is based on the reference time information of the transmitting server, to calculate a receiving side current time related to the transmitting server;
• and
• by the receiving server, detecting that, regarding the calculated receiving side current time related to one transmitting server of the plurality of transmitting servers, when a receiving side current time calculated this time for the one transmitting server differs from a receiving side current time calculated in the past for the one transmitting server, the receiving side current time calculated this time is abnormal.