Network element clock synchronization systems and methods using optical transport network delay measurement

A network, comprising:

• a plurality of interconnected network elements;
• a packet service operating over Optical Transport Network (OTN) between a first network element and a second network element;
• and
• a processor executing an algorithm configured to synchronize a clock associated with the second network element with a clock associated with the first network element based upon a delay measurement over OTN and a delay measurement over the packet service, wherein the delay measurement over OTN comprises one or more of a delay measurement of an Optical Channel Data Unit-k (ODUk) path, a delay measurement at a tandem connection, and a delay measurement at a combination of tandem connections, and wherein the delay measurement over OTN is added to a time stamp in the delay measurement over the packet service at the second network element to adjust the second network element to within microsecond accuracy of the first network element;
• wherein the first network element and the second network element each utilize converged packet switching and OTN transport, and wherein each of the first network element and the second network element perform the packet delay measurement and the OTN delay measurement such that each of the measurements is performed by a same set of network elements.

A network element, comprising:

• a plurality of ports;
• a switch interconnecting the plurality of ports, wherein the switch supports packet switching and Optical Transport Network (OTN) switching;
• a clock;
• and
• a processor executing an algorithm configured to synchronize the clock with an external network element based upon an OTN delay measurement and a packet delay measurement between one of the plurality of ports and the external network element, wherein the OTN delay measurement comprises one or more of a delay measurement of an Optical Channel Data Unit-k (ODUk) path, a delay measurement at a tandem connection, and a delay measurement at a combination of tandem connections, wherein the OTN delay measurement is added to a time stamp in the packet delay measurement to synchronize the clock to within microsecond accuracy of the first network element, and wherein the network element is configured to perform converged packet switching and OTN transport and the OTN delay measurement and the packet delay measurement are each performed by the switch such that each of the measurements is performed by a same set of network elements comprising the network element and the external network element.