Virtual optical network service with guaranteed availability

1. A method, comprising:

identifying an optical path that is used to represent a virtual link in a virtual optical network (VON), including identifying physical nodes and physical links for the optical path;

determining a minimum availability associated with the virtual link;

identifying a plurality of wavelength configurations for the optical path, the wavelength configurations comprising a modulation format, a forward error correction (FEC) ratio, a baud rate, and a launch optical power of an optical signal transmitted over the optical path;

determining a probability density function (PDF) for an optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) for the optical path;

based on the PDF for the OSNR, respectively determining a PDF for a Q-factor for each of the wavelength configurations;

from the PDFs for the Q-factor, respectively determining a calculated availability for each of the wavelength configurations using an integral of the PDF over the Q-factor;

selecting a first wavelength configuration from the wavelength configurations using the calculated availability; and

sending instructions to a transmitter and a receiver for the optical path to implement the wavelength configuration for the optical signal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the PDF for the OSNR further comprises:

measuring optical performance of network traffic transmitted over the optical path to calculate a second PDF for a Q-factor corresponding to a second wavelength configuration for the optical path; and

using the second PDF for the Q-factor for determining the PDF for the OSNR.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the PDF for the OSNR further comprises:

using an analytical model of the optical path to estimate a second PDF for a Q-factor corresponding to a second wavelength configuration for the optical path; and

using the second PDF for the Q-factor for determining the PDF for the OSNR.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

measuring optical performance of network traffic transmitted over the optical path to calculate a third PDF for a Q-factor corresponding to the first wavelength configuration for the optical path; and

using the third PDF for the Q-factor for updating the PDF for the OSNR.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein respectively determining the calculated availability for each of the wavelength configurations using an integral of the PDF over the Q-factor further comprises:

determining the calculated availability from a threshold Q-factor, wherein the calculated availability is given by the integral from the threshold Q to infinity.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the first wavelength configuration further comprises selecting the first wavelength according to the calculated availability.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the first wavelength configuration further comprises selecting the first wavelength according to a cost function based on a metric for each of the wavelength configurations.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the metric is selected from at least one of: a data rate, a spectral efficiency, a time averaged aggregate data rate, and a time averaged spectral efficiency.

9. A network management system, comprising:

a processor enabled to access a memory media storing instructions executable by the processor for:

identifying an optical path that is used to represent a virtual link in a virtual optical network (VON), including identifying physical nodes and physical links for the optical path;

determining a minimum availability associated with the virtual link; identifying a plurality of wavelength configurations for the optical path, the wavelength configurations comprising a modulation format, a forward error correction (FEC) ratio, a baud rate, and a launch optical power of an optical signal transmitted over the optical path;

determining a probability density function (PDF) for an optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) for the optical path;

based on the PDF for the OSNR, respectively determining a PDF for a Q-factor for each of the wavelength configurations;

from the PDFs for the Q-factor, respectively determining a calculated availability for each of the wavelength configurations using an integral of the PDF over the Q-factor;

selecting a first wavelength configuration from the wavelength configurations using the calculated availability; and

sending instructions to a transmitter and a receiver for the optical path to implement the wavelength configuration for the optical signal.

10. The network management system of claim 9 , wherein determining the PDF for the OSNR further comprises:

measuring optical performance of network traffic transmitted over the optical path to calculate a second PDF for a Q-factor corresponding to a second wavelength configuration for the optical path; and

using the second PDF for the Q-factor for determining the PDF for the OSNR.

11. The network management system of claim 9 , wherein determining the PDF for the OSNR further comprises:

using an analytical model of the optical path to estimate a second PDF for a Q-factor corresponding to a second wavelength configuration for the optical path; and

using the second PDF for the Q-factor for determining the PDF for the OSNR.

12. The network management system of claim 11 , further comprising instructions for:

measuring optical performance of network traffic transmitted over the optical path to calculate a third PDF for a Q-factor corresponding to the first wavelength configuration for the optical path; and

using the third PDF for the Q-factor for updating the PDF for the OSNR.

13. The network management system of claim 9 , wherein respectively determining the calculated availability for each of the wavelength configurations using an integral of the PDF over the Q-factor further comprises:

determining the calculated availability from a threshold Q-factor, wherein the calculated availability is given by the integral from the threshold Q-factor to infinity.

14. The network management system of claim 9 , wherein selecting the first wavelength configuration further comprises selecting the first wavelength according to a cost function based on a metric for each of the wavelength configurations.

15. The network management system of claim 14 , wherein the metric is selected from at least one of: a data rate, a spectral efficiency, a time averaged aggregate data rate, and a time averaged spectral efficiency.

16. An optical network comprising:

a network management system, further comprising a processor enabled to access a memory media storing instructions executable by the processor for:

identifying an optical path that is used to represent a virtual link in a virtual optical network (VON), including identifying physical nodes and physical links in the optical network for the optical path; determining a minimum availability associated with the virtual link; identifying a plurality of wavelength configurations for the optical path, the wavelength configurations comprising a modulation format, a forward error correction (FEC) ratio, a baud rate, and a launch optical power of an optical signal transmitted over the optical path;

determining a probability density function (PDF) for an optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) for the optical path;

based on the PDF for the OSNR, respectively determining a PDF for a Q-factor for each of the wavelength configurations;

from the PDFs for the Q-factor, respectively determining a calculated availability for each of the wavelength configurations using an integral of the PDF over the Q-factor;

selecting a first wavelength configuration from the wavelength configurations the calculated availability; and

sending instructions to a transmitter and a receiver for the optical path to implement the wavelength configuration for the optical signal.

17. The optical network of claim 16 , wherein determining the PDF for the OSNR further comprises:

measuring optical performance of network traffic transmitted over the optical path to calculate a second PDF for a Q-factor corresponding to a second wavelength configuration for the optical path; and

using the second PDF for the Q-factor for determining the PDF for the OSNR.

18. The optical network of claim 16 , wherein determining the PDF for the OSNR further comprises:

using an analytical model of the optical path to estimate a second PDF for a Q-factor corresponding to a second wavelength configuration for the optical path; and

using the second PDF for the Q-factor for determining the PDF for the OSNR.

19. The optical network of claim 18 , further comprising instructions for:

measuring optical performance of network traffic transmitted over the optical path to calculate a third PDF for a Q-factor corresponding to the first wavelength configuration for the optical path; and

using the third PDF for the Q-factor for updating the PDF for the OSNR.

20. The optical network of claim 16 , wherein respectively determining the calculated availability for each of the wavelength configurations using an integral of the PDF over the Q-factor further comprises:

determining the calculated availability from a threshold Q-factor, wherein the calculated availability is given by the integral from the threshold Q-factor to infinity.

21. The optical network of claim 16 , wherein selecting the first wavelength configuration further comprises selecting the first wavelength according to a cost function based on a metric for each of the wavelength configurations.

22. The optical network of claim 21 , wherein the metric is selected from at least one of: a data rate, a spectral efficiency, a time averaged aggregate data rate, and a time averaged spectral efficiency.