Flexible ethernet switching systems and methods

1. A Flexible Ethernet (FlexE) switch system configured to switch a FlexE client service, the switch fabric comprising:

interface circuitry configured to ingress and egress a plurality of FlexE clients; and

switch circuitry configured to switch portions of the FlexE clients between the interface circuitry based on 64 b/66 b block boundaries, wherein the portions comprise one or more 64 b/66 b blocks and the 64 b/66 b blocks are switched intact by the switch circuitry to the interface circuitry.

2. The FlexE switch system of claim 1 , wherein the portions are defined by calendar slots in a calendar which assigns positions for the FlexE clients, and wherein the switch circuitry utilizes a synchronous switching scheme.

3. The FlexE switch system of claim 1 , wherein the interface circuitry is configured to partially terminate a FlexE shim associated with the plurality of FlexE clients and provide access to 64 b/66 b blocks from the plurality of FlexE clients, for phase and frequency alignment.

4. The FlexE switch system of claim 1 , wherein the switch system is a native FlexE client 64 b/66 b switch system, and wherein the interface circuitry is configured to perform timing synchronization comprising phase and frequency alignment between the 64 b/66 b block boundaries.

5. The FlexE switch system of claim 1 , wherein the switch circuitry is a Synchronous Optical Network (SONET)/Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH)-based switch, and wherein the interface circuitry is configured to at least one of adapt and transcode 64 b/66 b blocks into SONET/SDH frames.

6. The FlexE switch system of claim 1 , wherein the switch circuitry is a cell switch, and wherein the portions of the FlexE clients are SARed (Segmentation and Reassembly) using Optical Transport Network (OTN) over Packet (OPF) techniques and switched as a stream across the cell switch.

7. The FlexE switch system of claim 6 , wherein the OPF techniques accumulate 66 b blocks of one or more calendar slots in a calendar which assigns positions for the FlexE clients with packets sized by +/− one byte to a signal source rate with timing transfer.

8. The FlexE switch system of claim 6 , wherein the OPF techniques accumulate 66 b blocks of one or more calendar slots in a calendar which assigns positions for the FlexE clients with fixed sized packets with no timing transfer.

9. The FlexE switch system of claim 6 , wherein the cell switch utilizes a phase aligned clock to deskew at an egress of the FlexE clients.

10. A node configured to switch a Flexible Ethernet (FlexE) client service in a network, the node comprising:

one or more line cards configured to ingress and egress a plurality of FlexE clients; and

one or more switch fabrics configured to switch portions of the FlexE clients between the one or more line cards based on 64 b/66 b block boundaries, wherein the portions comprise one or more 64 b/66 b blocks and the 64 b/66 b blocks are switched intact by the switch circuitry to the interface circuitry.

11. The node of claim 10 , wherein the portions are defined by calendar slots in a calendar which assigns positions for the FlexE clients, and wherein the switch circuitry utilizes a synchronous switching scheme.

12. The node of claim 10 , wherein the one or more switch fabrics are a native FlexE client switch system, and wherein the one or more line cards are configured to perform timing synchronization between the 64 b/66 b block boundaries.

13. The node of claim 10 , wherein the one or more switch fabrics are a Synchronous Optical Network (SONET)/Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH)-based switch, and wherein the one or more line cards are configured to at least one of adapt and transcode 64 b/66 b blocks into STS-n frames.

14. The node of claim 10 , wherein the one or more switch fabrics are a cell based switch, and wherein the portions of the FlexE clients are SARed (Segmentation and Reassembly) using OTN over Packet (OPF) techniques and switched as a stream across the cell based switch.

15. The node of claim 14 , wherein the OPF techniques accumulate 66b blocks of one or more calendar slots in a calendar which assigns positions for the FlexE clients with packets sized by +/− one byte to a signal source rate with timing transfer.

16. The node of claim 14 , wherein the OPF techniques accumulate 66 b blocks of one or more calendar slots in a calendar which assigns positions for the FlexE clients with fixed sized packets with no timing transfer.

17. The node of claim 14 , wherein the cell switch utilizes a phase aligned clock to deskew at an egress of the FlexE clients.

18. A Flexible Ethernet (FlexE) switch method for switching a FlexE client service, the method comprising:

providing interface circuitry configured to ingress and egress a plurality of FlexE clients; and

providing switch circuitry configured to switch portions of the FlexE clients between the interface circuitry based on 64 b/66 b block boundaries, wherein the portions comprise one or more 64 b/66 b blocks and the 64 b/66 b blocks are switched intact by the switch circuitry to the interface circuitry.

19. The FlexE switch method of claim 18 , wherein the portions comprise calendar slots, and wherein the switch circuitry utilizes a synchronous switching scheme.

20. The FlexE switch method of claim 18 , wherein the switch system is a native FlexE client switch system, and wherein the interface circuitry is configured to perform timing synchronization between the 64 b/66 b block boundaries.