Method and device for service provisioning in a communication network

1. A method for service provisioning in an optical communication network comprising optical fibers and network elements, said service using switching and transmission resources to form a communication channel used by the service to convey information from one point to another point in, or at the edge of the optical communication network, or across network boundaries towards other networks,

creating a planned resource to be installed in a network element of the optical communication network as a virtual resource and reserving for a dedicated service in the network element, which planned resource is an unequipped resource not yet physically available for productive use by the network, and wherein said resource is one of a link, a network node, a channel, a bandwidth or a wavelength,

wherein said virtual resource is presented to a network element interface like an installed resource, but with a different state expressing that the virtual resource is not yet physically available, thereby permitting that the virtual resource is handled by a network management system like an installed resource, and permitting creation of a virtual cross connection using such virtual resource, which virtual cross connection to be immediately activated by the network element as soon as said planned resource is installed.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the service is configured based on a request; and based on the service configuration the resource is created as a virtual resource and reserved for said service.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an order equipment request is issued based on a physical resource identified as being not yet available.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein upon delivery of the equipment ordered,

the equipment is installed; and

the service is activated.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the resource is configured via a system database.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein upon availability of the resource, the entry of the system database regarding the resource is used to configure the installed equipment.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a request for provisioning of the virtual resource is issued and depends on a demand.

8. A device comprising a processor that executes instructions to perform service provisioning in an optical communication network comprising optical fibers and network elements, wherein the service uses switching and transmission resources to form a communication channel used by the service to convey information from one point to another point in, or at the edge of the optical communication network, or across boundaries towards other networks,

said processing executing instructions for:

creating a planned resource to be installed in a network element of the optical communication network as a virtual resource and reserving for a dedicated service in the network element, which planned resource is an unequipped resource not yet physically available for productive use by the network, and wherein said resource is one of a link, a network node, a channel a bandwidth or a wavelength,

wherein said virtual resource is presented to a network element interface like an installed resource, but with a different state expressing that the virtual resource is not yet physically available, thereby permitting that the virtual resource is handled by a network management system like an installed resource, and permitting creation of a virtual cross connection using such virtual resource, which virtual cross connection to be immediately activated by the network element as soon as said planned resource is installed.

9. A network element to use in an optical network, said network element comprising input ports for inputting optical signals, output ports for outputting optical signals, a control unit having one or more processors for executing instructions and coupled to a storage and cross connect/switching, said one or more processors of said control unit executing instructions for creating a planned resource to be installed in said network element as a virtual resource and reserving the same for a dedicated service in the network element which planned resource is an unequipped resource not yet available for productive use by a network, wherein said resource is one of a link, a network node, a channel, a bandwidth or wavelength,

wherein said virtual resource is presented to a network element interface like an installed resource but with a different state expressing that the resource is not yet physically available, thereby permitting that the virtual resource is handled by a network management system like an installed resource and permitting creation of a virtual cross connection using such virtual resource, which virtual cross connection is immediately activated by the network element as soon as said planned resource is installed.