LAG 1+1 handoff between packet and OTN
A network element includes a plurality of ports including a first set of ports configured to connect to a router via a Link Aggregation and a second set of ports configured to communicatively connect to another network element via 1+1 protection over a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) network; and circuitry interconnecting the plurality of ports and configured to perform a first bridge and select function to convert the Link Aggregation protection associated with the first set of ports to a single connection, and perform a second bridge and select function to convert the single connection to the 1+1 protection associated with the second set of ports. The first bridge and select function and the second bridge and select function are each configured to close one type of protection and open another type of protection.
1 . A network element comprising:
a plurality of ports including a first set of ports configured to connect to a router via a Link Aggregation and a second set of ports configured to communicatively connect to another network element via 1+1 protection over a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) network; and
circuitry interconnecting the plurality of ports and configured to
perform a first bridge and select function to convert the Link Aggregation protection associated with the first set of ports to a single connection, wherein the first bridge and select function comprises a virtual switch implementing an Ethernet Tree (ETREE) having two leaf ports on a fabric-facing side of the ETREE coupled to the single connection and a root port on a router-facing side of the ETREE coupled to the first set of ports, and wherein the circuitry is further configured to select between the leaf ports by ingress squelching which performs blocking in a break-before-make manner on an inactive path using an Interlaken (ILKN) interface in response to a status evaluation of the 1+1 protection based on at least one working-path status indicator and at least one protection-path status indicator, and
perform a second bridge and select function to convert the single connection to the 1+1 protection associated with the second set of ports.
2 . The network element of claim 1 , wherein the first bridge and select function and the second bridge and select function are each configured to close one type of protection and open another type of protection, and wherein the ingress squelching via the Interlaken (ILKN) interface facilitates closing the Link Aggregation protection.
3 . The network element of claim 1 , further comprising a TDM switching fabric configured to switch the single connection.
4 . The network element of claim 1 , wherein, to perform the second bridge and select function, the circuitry is configured to implement (1) a bridge of the single connection to the second set of ports and (2) a select from the second set of ports to the single connection.
5 . The network element of claim 1 , wherein, to perform the first bridge and select function, the circuitry is configured to implement a packet Link Aggregation Group (LAG) which utilizes a virtual switch in the terminal network element and the Ethernet Tree (ETREE) to (1) select from the first set of ports to the single connection and (2) bridge from the single connection to the first set of ports.
6 . The network element of claim 1 , wherein the TDM network utilizes Optical Transport Network (OTN).
7 . The network element of claim 6 , wherein, to perform the first bridge and select function, the circuitry is configured to implement an OTN Link Aggregation Group (LAG) which (1) manually introduces errors on an inactive leg of the first set of ports to select from the first set of ports to the single connection and (2) bridges from the single connection to the first set of ports.
8 . The network element of claim 1 , wherein, to perform the first bridge and select function, the circuitry is configured to (1) manually introduce errors on an inactive leg of the first set of ports to select from the first set of ports to the single connection and (2) bridge from the single connection to the first set of ports.
9 . The network element of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to a failure in the TDM network, the circuitry is configured to holdoff protection switching to the Link Aggregation so that the 1+1 protection is implemented first.
10 . A method comprising steps of:
performing a first bridge and select function to convert Link Aggregation protection associated a first set of ports, configured to connect to a router via a Link Aggregation, to a single connection, wherein the first bridge and select function comprises a virtual switch implementing an Ethernet Tree (ETREE) having two leaf ports on a fabric-facing side of the ETREE coupled to the single connection and a root port on a router-facing side of the ETREE coupled to the first set of ports, and wherein the steps further include selecting between the leaf ports by ingress squelching which performs blocking in a break-before-make manner on an inactive path using an Interlaken (ILKN) interface in response to a status evaluation of 1+1 protection based on at least one working-path status indicator and at least one protection-path status indicator; and
performing a second bridge and select function to convert the single connection to the 1+1 protection associated with a second set of ports, configured to communicatively connect to a network element over a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) network.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first bridge and select function and the second bridge and select function are each configured to close one type of protection and open another type of protection, and wherein the ingress squelching via the Interlaken (ILKN) interface facilitates closing the Link Aggregation protection.
12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the steps further include
switching the single connection via a TDM switching fabric; and
implementing the first bridge and select function and the second bridge and select function, via the TDM switching fabric.
13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the performing the second bridge and select function includes
implementing (1) a bridge of the single connection to the second set of ports and (2) a select from the second set of ports to the single connection.
14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the performing the first bridge and select function includes
implementing a packet Link Aggregation Group (LAG) which utilizes a virtual switch and the Ethernet Tree (ETREE) to (1) select from the first set of ports to the single connection and (2) bridge from the single connection to first set of ports.
15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the TDM network utilizes Optical Transport Network (OTN).
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the performing the first bridge and select function includes
implementing an OTN Link Aggregation Group (LAG) which (1) manually introduces errors on an inactive leg of the first set of ports to select from the first set of ports to the single connection and (2) bridges from the single connection to the first set of ports.
17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the performing the first bridge and select function includes
manually introducing errors on an inactive leg of the first set of ports to select from the first set of ports to the single connection and (2) bridge from the single connection to the first set of ports.
18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the steps further include
responsive to a failure in the TDM network, holding off protection switching to the Link Aggregation so that the 1+1 protection is implemented first.
19 . A switching circuit configured to perform steps of:
performing a first bridge and select function to convert Link Aggregation protection associated with a first set of ports, configured to connect to a router via a Link Aggregation, to a single connection, wherein the first bridge and select function comprises a virtual switch implementing an Ethernet Tree (ETREE) having two leaf ports on a fabric-facing side of the ETREE coupled to the single connection and a root port facing on a router-facing side of the ETREE coupled the first set of ports, and wherein the switching circuit is further configured to select between the leaf ports by ingress squelching which performs blocking in a break-before-make manner on an inactive path using an Interlaken (ILKN) interface in response to a status evaluation of 1+1 protection based on at least one working-path status indicator and at least one protection-path status indicator, and
performing a second bridge and select function to convert the single connection to the 1+1 protection associated with a second set of ports, configured to communicatively connect to a network element over a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) network.
20 . The switching circuit of claim 19 , wherein the first bridge and select function and the second bridge and select function are each configured to close one type of protection and open another type of protection, and wherein the ingress squelching via the Interlaken (ILKN) interface facilitates closing the Link Aggregation protection.