Optical communication system and component control architectures and methods
View Patent ↗Systems, apparatuses, and methods are disclosed that include network control architectures that provide for distributed control of the optical component work functions and network management. The distribution of the work function control in the network element provides for a hierarchical division of work function responsibilities. The hierarchical division provides for streamlined and specically tailored control structures that greatly increases the reliability of the network management system.
1. An optical communication system comprising:
an element manager;
a plurality of optical components wherein the optical components include:
a work function controller configured to autonomously control a work function of the optical component in accordance with work function instructions; and,
a component controller configured to receive element instructions and to send corresponding work function instructions to the work function controller; and
a communication channel connecting at least two of the plurality of optical components;
wherein a first component controller in a first optical component is a first master component controller that receives element instructions from the element manager; and
wherein a second component controller in a second optical component is a first slave component controller that receives element instructions from the first master component controller along the communication channel.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein a third component controller is a second slave component controller that receives element instructions from the first master component controller along the communication channel.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein if the first master component controller fails, the first slave component controller receives element instructions from the element manager and the second slave controller receives element instructions from the first slave component controller along the communication channel.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein a master component controller failure includes the mater component controller failing to receive element instructions.
5. The system of claim 3 , wherein a master component controller failure includes a break in the communication channel.
6. The system of claim 2 wherein a fourth component controller is a second master component controller and wherein the first and second slave component controllers receive element instructions from the second master component controller if the first master component controller fails.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication channel is a mixed data channel carrying data and work function instructions.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein the at least one optical component further includes:
an optical-to-electrical converter connected between the communication channel and the component controller; and
an electrical-to-optical converter connected between the communication channel and the component controller.
9. The system of claim 8 wherein optical-to-electrical converter converts an optical data signal from the mixed data channel into an electrical data signal including the work function instructions, and sending the work function instructions to the component controller.
10. The system of claim 8 wherein the electrical-to-optical converter converts data and work function instructions from the component controller into an optical data signal that is transmitted on the mixed data channel.
11. The system of claim 1 wherein the communication channel only carries work function instructions.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
at least one of the optical components is an optical amplifier;
the work function controller controls the pump laser power and wavelength supplied to the optical amplifier and provides work function status reports including the current pump laser power and temperature; and,
the component controller provides work function instructions including pump laser power and temperature set points.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
at least one of the optical components is a temperature controlled fiber Bragg grating;
the work function controller controls a heater/cooler configured to heat/cool the grating and provides work function status reports including the temperature of the grating; and,
the component controller provides work function instructions including the grating temperature.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the component controller provides work function instructions further including the temperature response of the heater/cooler.
15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the work function controller contains the temperature response of the heater/cooler in local memory.
16. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
at least one of the optical components is an optical switch;
the work function controller controls a switch gate in an off/on position and provides work function status reports including the position of the gate; and,
the component controller provides work function instructions including the position of the switch gate.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein:
the component controller provides work function instructions including a power requirement to set the position of the switch gate; and,
the work function controller is further configured to control the power provided to the switch gate and provide work function status reports including power supplied to the switch gate.
18. A method of controlling an optical communication system having a plurality of optical components to optically transmit information based upon network management instructions comprising:
generating element instructions for the optical components based on the network management instructions;
communicating the element instructions to a first master component controller in the optical components;
communicating the element instructions from the first master component controller to a first and a second slave component controller;
generating work function instructions based on the element instructions;
communicating the work function instructions to work function controllers in the optical component; and
controlling work functions in the optical component in accordance with work function instructions.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising detecting a component controller failure.
20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising, communicating the element instructions to the first slave component controller and communicating element instructions from the first slave component controller to the second slave component controller when a component controller failure is detected.
21. The method of claim 18 wherein the element instructions are communicated in combination with data.
22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising receiving the element instructions and data and separating the element instructions from the data.