Control architecture in optical burst-switched networks
AssigneeAlcatel
InventorsYijun Xiong, Marc L. J. Vandenhoute, Hakki C. Cankaya
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A control architecture for an optical burst-switched network includes an electronic ingress edge router, a switch control unit at each hop, and an electronic egress edge router. The electronic ingress edge router assembles multiple data packets into a burst. The switch control units at each hop configure the optical switching matrix to switch the burst through the optical burst-switched network. Finally, the electronic egress edge router receives the burst from the optical burst-switched network and disassembles the burst into multiple data packets.
Claims43
A control system for switching data packets through an optical burst-switched network, comprising:
- an electronic ingress edge router operable to assemble a plurality of said data packets into a burst;
- a switch control unit at each hop operable to configure an optical switching matrix to switch said burst through said optical burst-switched network;
- and
- an electronic egress edge router operable to receive said burst from said optical burst-switched network and disassemble said burst into said plurality of data packets.
A method for switching data packets through an optical burst-switched network, comprising the steps of:
- assembling a plurality of data packets into a burst at an electronic ingress edge router;
- using a switch control unit to configure an optical switching matrix;
- switching said burst through said optical burst-switched network;
- and
- disassembling said burst into said plurality of data packets at an electronic egress edge router.
The method of 19, wherein said plurality of data packets are assembled into said bursts according to each said data packet's electronic edge router address and/or each said data packet's quality of service information.
The method of 19, wherein said plurality of data packets are assembled into said burst at said electronic ingress edge router, comprising the steps of:
- receiving said plurality of data packets at a packet receiver;
- transmitting said plurality of data packets to a shared memory for storage;
- reading said electronic egress edge router address and said quality of service information from each said data packet header;
- determining which said electronic egress edge router to which each said data packet will be transmitted;
- and
- storing said shared memory address of each data packet in a bucket based on each said data packet's electronic egress router address and quality of service information forming said burst.
A method for managing an offset-time (τ) between a burst header packet and its corresponding burst payload during transmission between hops, comprising the steps of:
- setting an initial offset-time τ0;
- resynchronizing said burst payload and said burst header packet at each hop so said offset-time (τ) is kept as close to said initial offset-time τ0 as possible;
- and
- using a departure time of said burst payload from said optical switching matrix rather than an actual switching time of said burst payload inside said optical switching matrix as a reference time to schedule the transmission of said burst header packet on said outgoing control channel group to guard any portion of said burst payload from being cut.
A burst assembler mechanism, comprising:
- a packet receiver operable to receive a plurality of data packets from a first switch and transmit said plurality of data packets to a shared memory for storage;
- a processor operable to receive data packet headers of said plurality of data packets from said packet receiver and read an electronic egress router address and quality of service information from each said data packet headers and determine which said electronic egress edge router each said data packet will be transmitted to;
- and
- a plurality of buckets operable to store said shared memory address of each data packet in a particular said bucket based on each said data packet's electronic egress router address and quality of service information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.