Segment routing for optical networks
AssigneeHuawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
InventorHAMID MEHRVAR
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Aspects of the disclosure involve a source node, having some predetermined knowledge of the optical network generating a list of nodes and/or optical links between nodes that form a route in the optical network from the source node to the destination node. The nodes in the optical network do not necessarily need to know the entire route from source node to destination node. Each node simply decodes the control information identifying the next hop in the route towards the destination node. By utilizing the decoded control information identifying the next hop, a switch in the node can be controlled to route the optical signal including the payload and some or all of the control information onto the next optical link toward the destination node.
Claims36
A method for operating an optical switch node in a segment routed optical network, the method comprising:
- receiving from a first prior node, over a first optical link in the optical network, a first optical signal carrying a payload and control information associated with the optical switch node and with subsequent optical switch nodes in a segment routed path;
- controlling a switching fabric in accordance with the control information associated with the optical switch node read from the received first optical signal in a manner non-destructive to the control information associated with the subsequent optical switch nodes in the segment routed path;
- forwarding to a subsequent node in the optical network, through the switching fabric, in a manner determined in accordance with the read control information, an optical signal carrying the received payload and the control information associated with the subsequent optical switch nodes in the segment routed path.
A method for operating a source node in a segment routed optical network, the method comprising:
- generating a segment routed path comprising an ordered list of optical switch nodes;
- generating control information for each of the optical switch nodes in the ordered list;
- encoding the generated control information into at least one control wavelength channel;
- and
- transmitting a payload along with the encoded control information to a first optical switch node in the ordered list.
An optical switch node for use in a segment routed optical network comprising:
- an input port configured to receive from a prior node in the optical network, over an optical link, an optical signal carrying a payload and control information for the optical switch node and for subsequent optical switch nodes in a segment routed path;
- a wavelength diverter configured to optically divert a portion of the received optical signal;
- an optical switch fabric optically coupled to the at least one input port configured to route an optical signal carrying the received payload and the control information associated with at least subsequent nodes in a segment routed path to a subsequent node in the optical network;
- and
- a controller, optically coupled to the wavelength diverter and the optical switch fabric, the controller configured to control the optical switch fabric to direct, to an output port selected in accordance with information carried in the diverted portion of the received optical signal.
An optical switch node for use in a segment routed optical network comprising:
- a controller configured to:
- generate a segment routed path through the optical network comprising an ordered list of optical switch nodes;
- generate control information for each of the optical switch nodes in the ordered list;
- encode the generated control information into at least one control wavelength channel;
- and
- transmit a payload along with the encoded control information to a first optical switch node in the ordered list.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.