Out-of band management of fiber optics systems and devices
A communication network including a master switch and one or more local switches is provided with a loop-back test device for in line loop-back testing. The local switches convey communication traffic between one another using one or more channels of a transmission medium and configuration information using an out-of-band channel of the transmission medium that is separate from the channels used to convey the communication traffic. The master switch includes an application that generates configuration information including loop-back connection information for configuring the out-of-band channel using at least one loop-back test device, transmits the generated configuration information to the loop-back test device using the out-of-band channel of the transmission medium, and conducts loop-back testing using the out-of-band channel.
1. A communication network comprising:
a plurality of local switches to convey communication traffic between one another using one or more channels of a transmission medium;
a loop-back connection operatively connected to the transmission medium; and
a master switch, operatively connected to the transmission medium and comprising at least one processor and memory, wherein the memory is operatively connected to the at least one processor and stores a controller application that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the master switch to:
identify an out-of-band channel of the transmission medium that is separate from the channels used to convey the communication traffic;
transmit a test signal towards the loop-back connection over the out-of-band channel;
receive a return signal from the loop-back connection over the out-of-band channel; and
measure the performance of the transmission medium based on the test signal and the return signal.
2. The communication network of claim 1 , wherein the loop-back connection is implemented by at least one loop-back test device external to the local network switches.
3. The communication network of claim 1 , wherein the loop-back connection is implemented internally by a particular local switch of the plurality of local switches, and wherein the controller application, when executed by the at least one processor, further causes the master switch to:
generate configuration information, the configuration information comprising one or more operating characteristics of the particular local switch and identification of the out-of-band channel; and
transmit the configuration information to the particular switch.
4. The communication network of claim 1 , wherein the transmission medium comprises a dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) medium.
5. The communication network of claim 3 , wherein the out-of-band channel comprises a wavelength of the DWDM medium that is separate from other wavelengths of the DWDM medium used to convey the communication traffic.
6. The communication network of claim 1 , wherein the communication network comprises a packet switched network.
7. The communication network of claim 1 , further comprising a loop-back test device, wherein the controller application, when executed by the at least one processor, further causes the master switch to:
select a new out-of-band channel of the transmission medium for loop-back testing, and
transmit identification of the new out-of-band channel to the loop-back test device.
8. The communication network of claim 7 , wherein the loop-back test device comprises a particular one of the plurality of local switches.
9. The communication network of claim 7 , wherein the loop-back test device comprises an optical splitter configured in line with the transmission medium, wherein channels for the communication traffic are configured in a through connection and the out-of-band channel configured in the loop-back connection.
10. The communication network of claim 1 , wherein the local switches are configured in at least one of a ring configuration and a string configuration.
11. A master switch, comprising:
at least one processor;
memory, operatively connected to the at least one processor and storing a controller application that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the master switch to:
send communication traffic over a transmission medium to a plurality of local switches;
identify an out-of-band channel of the transmission medium that is separate from the channels used to convey the communication traffic;
transmit a test signal towards a loop-back connection over the out-of-band channel;
receive a return signal from the loop-back connection over the out-of-band channel; and
measure the performance of the transmission medium based on the test signal and the return signal.
12. The master switch of claim 11 , wherein the controller application, when executed by the at least one processor, further causes the master switch to:
generate configuration information, the configuration information comprising one or more operating characteristics of a particular local switch and identification of the out-of-band channel; and
transmit the configuration information to the particular switch.
13. The master switch of claim 11 , wherein the controller application, when executed by the at least one processor, further causes the master switch to:
transmit an identification of the out-of-band channel to a loop-back test device.
14. The master switch of claim 11 , wherein the transmission medium comprises a dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) medium.
15. The master switch of claim 14 , wherein the out-of-band channel comprises a wavelength of the DWDM medium that is separate from other wavelengths of the DWDM medium used to convey the communication traffic.
16. The master switch of claim 11 , wherein the controller application, when executed by the at least one processor, further causes the master switch to perform a discovery process to receive a current configuration for each local switch.
17. The master switch of claim 11 , wherein the controller application, when executed by the at least one processor, further causes the master switch to:
select a new out-of-band channel of the transmission medium for loop-back testing, and
transmit identification of the new out-of-band channel to a loop-back test device.
18. A non-transient computer readable storage storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method, the method comprising:
sending communication traffic over a transmission medium to a plurality of local switches;
identifying an out-of-band channel of the transmission medium that is separate from the channels used to convey the communication traffic;
transmitting a test signal towards a loop-back connection over the out-of-band channel;
receiving a return signal from the loop-back connection over the out-of-band channel; and
measuring the performance of the transmission medium based on the test signal and the return signal.
19. The non-transient computer readable storage of claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises:
generating configuration information, the configuration information comprising one or more operating characteristics of a particular local switch and identification of the out-of-band channel; and
transmitting the configuration information to the particular switch.
20. The non-transient computer readable storage of claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises:
transmitting an identification of the out-of-band channel to a loop-back test device.