System and method for calculating utilization entropy

A method for monitoring traffic in a network comprising a plurality of neighboring pairs of links, wherein each of the links of the plurality of neighboring pairs of links comprises a plurality of slots, the method comprising:

• receiving network traffic at a traffic monitoring module of a network node;
• using the traffic monitoring module, identifying a first usage status for a slot in a first link;
• using the traffic monitoring module, identifying a second usage status for the slot in a second link, the first and second links forming a neighboring pair of links, the neighboring pair of links being one of the plurality of neighboring pairs of links;
• calculating a utilization entropy value for the slot in the first and second links, the utilization entropy value based at least on a difference between the first usage status and the second usage status;
• performing the above steps for each of the neighboring pairs of the plurality of neighboring pairs of links to create a set of utilization entropy values;
• and
• calculating a slot utilization entropy value, the slot entropy value based at least on a statistical analysis of the set of utilization entropy values.

An optical node comprising:

• a traffic monitoring module for monitoring traffic in an optical network comprising a plurality of links, wherein each of the plurality of links comprises a plurality of neighboring pairs of slots, the traffic monitoring module configured to:
• identify a usage status for a first slot and a second slot, the first and second slots being a neighboring pair of slots, the neighboring pair of slots being one of the plurality of neighboring pairs of slots;
• calculate a utilization entropy value for the first and second slots, the
• utilization entropy value based at least on a difference between the usage status for the first slot and the usage status for the second slot;
• perform the above steps for each of the neighboring pairs of the plurality of neighboring pairs of slots to create a set of utilization entropy values;
• and
• calculate a link utilization entropy value, the link utilization entropy value based at least on a statistical analysis of the set of utilization entropy values.

A system for monitoring traffic in an optical network comprising a plurality of neighboring pairs of links, wherein each of the links of the plurality of neighboring pairs of links comprises a plurality of slots, the system comprising:

• a first traffic monitoring module configured to identify a first usage status for a slot in a first link;
• a second traffic monitoring module configured to identify a second usage status for the slot in a second link, the first and second links forming a neighboring pair of links, the neighboring pair of links being one of the plurality of neighboring pairs of links;
• and
• a network management system configured to calculate a utilization entropy value for the slot in the first and second links, the utilization entropy value based at least on a difference between the first usage status and the second usage status;
• and
• wherein the first and second traffic monitoring modules and the network management system are configured to perform the above steps for each of the neighboring pairs of the plurality of neighboring pairs of links to create a set of utilization entropy values;
• and
• wherein the network management system is configured to calculate a slot utilization entropy value, the slot entropy value based at least on a statistical analysis of the set of utilization entropy values.