Method and system for configuring a connection-oriented packet network over a wavelength division multiplexed optical network
View Patent ↗A network planning tool and method for configuring a connection-oriented packet network over a WDM optical network without an optical control layer, such as a SONET/SDH layer. The optical network includes a plurality of optical fibers interconnected through nodes and the connection-oriented packet network, such an Ethernet network, MPLS network, or pseudowire network, includes two or more terminal devices. The method and tool function by building an association between the components of the physical layer, such as the optical fiber, and their geographic location or path. The connection-oriented packet network is configured by building multi-link trunks (MLTs) between terminal devices, where the MLTs are built by aggregating lightpaths that traverse distinctive geographic paths. The MLTs are planned and configured through aggregating lightpaths that traverse incongruent sets of photonic elements. A predetermined target for resiliency to physical failure events may determine the degree of congruence allowed between the sets of photonic elements associated with lightpaths in the same MLT.
1. A network planning tool for configuring at least one Ethernet Multi-Link Trunk over a wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) optical network, the network planning tool comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one storage medium, the storage medium being configured to store instructions executable by the processor, the instructions comprising:
instructions executable to access configuration information for the WDM optical network, the configuration information comprising:
geographic location information for photonic layer elements of the WDM optical network; and
available lightpaths between specified terminal devices connected to the WDM optical network; and
instructions executable to display the available lightpaths between the specified terminal devices connected to the WDM optical network together with geographic location information associated with each of the available lightpaths; and
instructions executable to enable selection of one of the available lightpaths for aggregation as a link of an Ethernet Multi-Link Trunk between the specified terminal devices connected to the WDM optical network.
2. A network planning tool as defined in claim 1 , wherein the instructions executable to display the available lightpaths comprise instructions executable to display a picklist of the available lightpaths between the specified terminal devices.
3. A network planning tool as defined in claim 2 , wherein the instructions executable to display the available lightpaths comprise instructions executable to display geographic location information associated with each of the available lightpaths on the picklist.
4. A network planning tool as defined in claim 2 , wherein the instructions executable to display the available lightpaths comprise instructions executable to display the available lightpaths in groups, each group corresponding to a respective geographic path.
5. A network planning tool as defined in claim 1 , wherein the instructions executable to display the available lightpaths comprise instructions executable to display a physical layer view of the WDM optical network, the physical layer view including geographic location information for photonic layer elements on the available lightpaths.
6. A network planning tool as defined in claim 5 , wherein the instructions executable to display the available lightpaths comprise instructions for labeling lightpaths displayed in the physical layer view according to their availability.
7. A network planning tool as defined in claim 5 , wherein the instructions executable to display the available lightpaths comprise instructions for highlighting lightpaths displayed in the physical layer view according to their availability.
8. A network planning tool as defined in claim 5 , wherein the storage medium is operable to store instructions executable to display an optical Ethernet view of the WDM optical network.
9. A network planning tool as defined in claim 8 , wherein the storage medium is operable to store instructions for highlighting a selected lightpath in the physical layer view when that lightpath is selected in the optical Ethernet view.
10. A network planning tool as defined in claim 1 , wherein the storage medium is further to store:
instructions executable to determine whether a particular lightpath selected for aggregation as a link of the Ethernet Multi-Link Trunk between the specified terminal devices connected to the WDM optical network is geographically diverse with respect to other lightpaths previously selected for aggregation as links of the Ethernet Multi-Link Trunk; and
instructions executable to provide an indication when the particular lightpath selected for aggregation as a link of the Ethernet Multi-Link Trunk is not geographically diverse with respect to other lightpaths previously selected for aggregation as links of that the Ethernet Multi-Link Trunk.
11. A method of operating a network planning tool for configuring at least one Ethernet Multi-Link Trunk over a wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) optical network, the method comprising:
displaying available lightpaths between specified terminal devices connected to the WDM optical network together with geographic location information associated with each of the available lightpaths based on stored configuration information for the WDM optical network, the configuration information comprising:
geographic location information for photonic layer elements of the WDM optical network; and
available lightpaths between the specified terminal devices connected to the WDM optical network; and
enabling selection of one of the available lightpaths for aggregation as a link of an Ethernet Multi-Link Trunk between the specified terminal devices connected to the WDM optical network.
12. A method as defined in claim 11 , wherein the displaying the available lightpaths comprises displaying a picklist of the available lightpaths between the specified terminal devices.
13. A method as defined in claim 12 , wherein the displaying the available lightpaths comprises displaying geographic location information associated with each of the available lightpaths on the picklist.
14. A method as defined in claim 12 , wherein the displaying the available lightpaths comprises displaying the available lightpaths in groups, each group corresponding to a respective geographic path.
15. A method as defined in claim 11 , wherein the displaying the available lightpaths comprises displaying a physical layer view of the WDM optical network, the physical layer view including geographic location information for photonic layer elements on the available lightpaths.
16. A method as defined in claim 15 , wherein the displaying the available lightpaths comprises labeling lightpaths displayed in the physical layer view according to their availability.
17. A method as defined in claim 15 , wherein the displaying the available lightpaths comprises highlighting lightpaths displayed in the physical layer view according to their availability.
18. A method as defined in claim 15 , further comprising displaying an optical Ethernet view of the WDM optical network.
19. A method as defined in claim 18 , further comprising highlighting a selected lightpath in the physical layer view when that lightpath is selected in the optical Ethernet view.
20. A method as defined in claim 11 , further comprising:
determining whether a particular lightpath selected for aggregation as a link of the Ethernet Multi-Link Trunk between the specified terminal devices connected to the WDM optical network is geographically diverse with respect to other lightpaths previously selected for aggregation as links of the Ethernet Multi-Link Trunk; and
providing an indication when the particular lightpath selected for aggregation as a link of the Ethernet Multi-Link Trunk is not geographically diverse with respect to other lightpaths previously selected for aggregation as links of the Ethernet Multi-Link Trunk.
21. A non-transitory processor-readable medium for use in a network planning tool, the medium carrying instructions executable by a processor, the instructions comprising:
instructions executable to access configuration information for a wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) optical network, the configuration information comprising:
geographic location information for photonic layer elements of the WDM optical network; and
available lightpaths between specified terminal devices connected to the WDM optical network;
instructions executable to display the available lightpaths between the specified terminal devices connected to the WDM optical network together with geographic location information associated with each of the available lightpaths; and
instructions executable to enable selection of one of the available lightpaths for aggregation as a link of an Ethernet Multi-Link Trunk between the specified terminal devices connected to the WDM optical network.
22. A processor-readable medium as defined in claim 21 , wherein the instructions executable to display the available lightpaths comprise instructions executable to display a picklist of the available lightpaths between the specified terminal devices.
23. A processor-readable medium as defined in claim 22 , wherein the instructions executable to display the available lightpaths comprise instructions executable to display geographic location information associated with each of the available lightpaths on the picklist.
24. A processor-readable medium as defined in claim 22 , wherein the instructions executable to display the available lightpaths comprise instructions executable to display the available lightpaths in groups, each group corresponding to a respective geographic path.
25. A processor-readable medium as defined in claim 21 , wherein the instructions executable to display the available lightpaths comprise instructions executable to display a physical layer view of the WDM optical network, the physical layer view including geographic location information for photonic layer elements on the available lightpaths.
26. A processor-readable medium as defined in claim 25 , wherein the instructions executable to display the available lightpaths comprise instructions for labeling lightpaths displayed in the physical layer view according to their availability.
27. A processor-readable medium as defined in claim 25 , wherein the instructions executable to display the available lightpaths comprise instructions for highlighting lightpaths displayed in the physical layer view according to their availability.
28. A processor-readable medium as defined in claim 25 , wherein the storage medium stores instructions executable to display an optical Ethernet view of the WDM optical network.
29. A processor-readable medium as defined in claim 28 , wherein the storage medium stores instructions for highlighting a selected lightpath in the physical layer view when that lightpath is selected in the optical Ethernet view.
30. A processor-readable medium as defined in claim 21 , wherein the storage medium stores:
instructions executable to determine whether a particular lightpath selected for aggregation as a link of the Ethernet Multi-Link Trunk between the specified terminal devices connected to the WDM optical network is geographically diverse with respect to other lightpaths previously selected for aggregation as links of the Ethernet Multi-Link Trunk; and
instructions executable to provide an indication when the particular lightpath selected for aggregation as a link of the Ethernet Multi-Link Trunk is not geographically diverse with respect to other lightpaths previously selected for aggregation as links of the Ethernet Multi-Link Trunk.