System and method for second order multi-layer traffic grooming for optical network optimization
A method of automatically generating a computer based layout of an optical communication network is provided. First, communications traffic demand forecast data for an optical communication network is received. Network data corresponding to a deployed optical communication network is also received. Thereafter, a network plan can be automatically generated. The network plan corresponds to a modified network that may be deployed. Also, the network plan can be derived from the network data. Further, the network plan can be constructed in response to the performance of a grooming operation that includes a first level of grooming at an optical level of the modified network and a second level of grooming at an electrical level of the modified network.
1. A method of automatically generating a computer based layout of an optical communication network at a network planning computer system, wherein the method is executed from a computer readable storage medium accessible to the network planning computer system, the method comprising:
receiving, at a network planning computer system, communications traffic demand forecast data related to an optical communication network;
receiving, at the network planning computer system, network data corresponding to a deployed optical communication network;
automatically generating, at the network planning computer system, a network plan corresponding to a modified optical communication network to be deployed, the network plan derived from the network data, the network plan constructed in response to performing a grooming operation including a first level of grooming at a first node of the modified network and a second level of grooming at a second node of the modified optical communication network; and
providing the network plan to a display device;
wherein a first threshold is used to perform traffic grooming at the first node and a second threshold is used to perform traffic grooming at the second node.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modified optical communication network comprises a multi-layer network, wherein a first layer of the multi-layer network comprises an optical layer and a second layer comprises an electrical layer.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first layer includes data connections that operate at a higher transmission capacity than connections within the second layer.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the modified optical communication network includes:
a third node arid a fourth node, the third node coupled to the first node;
wherein the modified optical communication network includes a first connection between the first node and the third node, a second connection between the first node and the second node, and a third connection between the second node and the third node.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the modified optical communication network further includes:
a fourth node;
a fourth connection between the second node and the fourth node; and
a fifth connection between the fourth node and the third node;
wherein the second node and the fourth node are hub nodes.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first and second connections comprise direct connections and wherein the third connection comprises a spoke connection corresponding to a hub and spoke configuration, the spoke connection having a smaller traffic capacity then the direct connections.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the spoke connection comprises an STS-1 connection of a SONET network.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first node is a central office at a first location and includes an optical add drop multiplexer;
the second node is provided by a central office at a destination location and includes an add drop multiplexer;
the third node is provided by a hub that includes a digital cross connect (DCS) and a multi-service transport switch (MSTS).
9. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second layer of the multi-layer network comprises a SONET layer and the first layer comprises an optical communication layer including optical add drop multiplexer elements.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modified optical communication network comprises a multi-layer network, wherein a first layer comprises a first optical layer, a second layer comprises an electrical layer, and a third layer comprises a second optical layer.
11. A method of grooming multi-layer traffic to generate network node, connection, and wavelength capacity data corresponding to a combined electrical and optical wavelength division multiplexed network, wherein the method is executed from a computer readable storage medium accessible to a network planning computer system, the method comprising:
receiving, at a network planning computer system, traffic demand forecast data;
receiving, at the network planning computer system, network data corresponding to an electrical network and to an optical wavelength division multiplexed network;
aggregating channels of low-speed traffic demand from the electrical network into higher speed connections within the optical wavelength division multiplexed network to create, at the network planning computer system, a network plan for the combined electrical and optical wavelength division multiplexed network; and
providing the network plan to a display device, wherein:
a first set of traffic is aggregated at a first node of the combined electrical and optical wavelength division multiplexed network using a first traffic grooming threshold, and a second set of traffic is aggregated at a second node of the combined electrical and optical wavelength division multiplexed network using a second traffic grooming threshold.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising deploying a physical multi-layer network in accordance with the network plan for the combined electrical and optical wavelength division multiplexed network.