Abstract: A method, implemented in a hybrid network element supporting switching at a plurality of layers, for multilayer resource management between the plurality of layers, includes operating a control plane at Layer N between a plurality of network elements in a network, wherein control plane signaling at the Layer N is processed at each network element in a path for a service in the network; and operating a resource management protocol at Layer N+1 with another network element in the network by injecting and extracting messages from and to the control plane into a data path in the Layer N+1, wherein a service at the Layer N+1 operates over the Layer N, and wherein the resource management protocol messages are processed at an originating network element and a terminating network element and not at intermediate network elements in the path.

Abstract: A method for control plane discovery includes a plurality of network elements transmitting an outbound control plane communication to generate path information of a path through the network elements. The transmitting includes receiving, by an intermediate network element of the network elements, the outbound control plane communication on an optical layer ingress port, appending, by the intermediate network element, an intermediate network element identifier of the intermediate network element to the path information in the outbound control plane communication, and transmitting, by the intermediate network element, the outbound control plane communication via an electrical layer egress port based on the intermediate network element comprising a layer changing drop port.

Abstract: A method of managing optical services in a node in an optical network utilizing a flexible grid includes utilizing a Media Channel (MC) Trail Termination Point (TTP) to model frequency allocation of a MC on the node; utilizing a Network Media Channel (NMC) Connection Termination Point (CTP) to model a specific port for an optical channel corresponding to the NMC; utilizing a NMC cross connection (CRS) to model a path of the NMC in the MC; and programming hardware in the node based on the MC TTP, the NMC CTP, and the NMC CRS.

Abstract: Systems and methods of path computation and setup via a control plane in a network with partial connectivity in a photonic layer include responsive to one or more nodes in the photonic layer having partial connectivity, receiving connectivity information of the one or more nodes in signaling messages at an originating node providing setup messages; storing the connectivity information of the one or more nodes and utilizing the connectivity information for path computation; after path setup of a service through the one or more nodes, periodically sending probe signaling messages over the service; and receiving probe response messages containing updated connectivity information of the one or more nodes and storing the updated connectivity information.

Abstract: A method of statistical multiplexing with one of Layer 0 Flexible Grid optical spectrum and Layer 1 Time Division Multiplexed (TDM) bandwidth in a multi-layer network includes obtaining a sampling of bandwidth usage over time on ports and links in the multi-layer network for one of Layer 0 and Layer 1 traffic using a plurality of statistical parameters, wherein the plurality of statistical parameters are defined for the one of Layer 0 and Layer 1 traffic; monitoring the plurality of statistical parameters; and triggering based on the monitoring one of i) adjustments to the one of Layer 0 and Layer 1 traffic and ii) adjustments to routing parameters on the links for new traffic, wherein the triggering is one of through a control plane and a Software Defined Networking (SDN) controller.

Abstract: Systems and methods for computing disjoint paths in a network considering continuity constraints include, responsive to a request for disjoint paths in the network which are subject to the continuity constraints, initializing a plurality of variables associated with a graph defining the network where edges constitute nodes and vertices constitute links; determining a first path through the graph; determining an auxiliary directed graph based on the first path; and determining a second path through the auxiliary directed graph, wherein the second path is determined by considering entry into cut edges, exit from cut edges, and a destination in the auxiliary directed graph and the plurality of variables are adjusted based on the entry, the exit, and the destination to address the continuity constraints. This approach concept applies to not just continuity constraints but to any constraints, which are non-additive in nature; the objective function is still additive for Shortest Path First (SPF).

Abstract: Systems and methods for horizontal synchronization are implemented by a first node with a second node adjacent to the first node in a network with a control plane. The horizontal synchronization manages and corrects for a state of a service which is resizable. The systems and methods include providing a first horizontal synchronization message to the second node with a first state comprising the state of the service at the node and a first size comprising a size of the service at the node; receiving a second horizontal synchronization message from the second node with a second state comprising the state of the service at the second node and a second size comprising a size of the service at the second node; detecting a mismatch of the service with the second node based on the second horizontal synchronization message; and performing a recovery action to correct the mismatch.

Abstract: Systems and methods for horizontal synchronization are implemented by a first node with a second node adjacent to the first node in a network with a control plane. The horizontal synchronization manages and corrects for a state of a service which is resizable. The systems and methods include providing a first horizontal synchronization message to the second node with a first state comprising the state of the service at the node and a first size comprising a size of the service at the node; receiving a second horizontal synchronization message from the second node with a second state comprising the state of the service at the second node and a second size comprising a size of the service at the second node; detecting a mismatch of the service with the second node based on the second horizontal synchronization message; and performing a recovery action to correct the mismatch.

Abstract: Systems and methods for computing disjoint paths in a network considering continuity constraints include, responsive to a request for disjoint paths in the network which are subject to the continuity constraints, initializing a plurality of variables associated with a graph defining the network where edges constitute nodes and vertices constitute links; determining a first path through the graph; determining an auxiliary directed graph based on the first path; and determining a second path through the auxiliary directed graph, wherein the second path is determined by considering entry into cut edges, exit from cut edges, and a destination in the auxiliary directed graph and the plurality of variables are adjusted based on the entry, the exit, and the destination to address the continuity constraints. This approach concept applies to not just continuity constraints but to any constraints, which are non-additive in nature; the objective function is still additive for Shortest Path First (SPF).

Abstract: A method implemented by a processing device for gridless optical routing and spectrum assignment on links in an optical network includes, responsive to one or more new channel requests, performing a path computation utilizing frequency markers to determine feasibility of the one or more new channel requests, wherein the optical spectrum is represented as a real line with the frequency markers indicative of used optical spectrum; allocating the one or more new channel requests based on the path computation and allocation criteria; and responsive to allocating the one or more new channel requests, updating the associated frequency markers on the real line.

Abstract: Systems and methods for path computation of a service in a multi-layer network including a client layer and a server layer include determining correlations between the client layer and the server layer; assigning data to one of client layer links and server layer links based on diversity between one another responsive to the determined correlations; and determining a resiliency path for a service from a current path using the data to determine diversity between the resiliency path and the current path in the client layer and the server layer.

Abstract: A Make-Before-Break (MBB) method, in a node operating in a network with a control plane, decoupling the control plane from a data plane, includes, for a connection operating on a path in the network, determining a reserved connection on a new path, through the control plane, wherein the reserved connection has zero bandwidth; signaling the reserved connection on the new path; creating the reserved connection in the control plane while suspending implementation in the data plane due to the zero bandwidth; and releasing the connection on the path and modifying the reserved connection on the new path to establish the connection on the new path.

Abstract: Systems and methods providing resiliency between a server layer and a client layer include determining a minimal spanning tree in the client layer; determining a Steiner tree in the server layer based on vertices associated with the minimal spanning tree in the client layer; and determining one or more resiliency paths in the client layer based on the minimal spanning tree and the Steiner tree, wherein the one or more resiliency paths are added to the minimal spanning tree in the client layer based on potential failures in the Steiner tree. For example, the server layer is an optical layer and the client layer is a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) layer.

Abstract: A method, implemented in a hybrid network element supporting switching at a plurality of layers, for multilayer resource management between the plurality of layers, includes operating a control plane at Layer N between a plurality of network elements in a network, wherein control plane signaling at the Layer N is processed at each network element in a path for a service in the network; and operating a resource management protocol at Layer N+1 with another network element in the network by injecting and extracting messages from and to the control plane into a data path in the Layer N+1, wherein a service at the Layer N+1 operates over the Layer N, and wherein the resource management protocol messages are processed at an originating network element and a terminating network element and not at intermediate network elements in the path.

Abstract: A method for control plane discovery includes a plurality of network elements transmitting an outbound control plane communication to generate path information of a path through the network elements. The transmitting includes receiving, by an intermediate network element of the network elements, the outbound control plane communication on an optical layer ingress port, appending, by the intermediate network element, an intermediate network element identifier of the intermediate network element to the path information in the outbound control plane communication, and transmitting, by the intermediate network element, the outbound control plane communication via an electrical layer egress port based on the intermediate network element comprising a layer changing drop port.

Abstract: A method of statistical multiplexing with one of Layer 0 Flexible Grid optical spectrum and Layer 1 Time Division Multiplexed (TDM) bandwidth in a multi-layer network includes obtaining a sampling of bandwidth usage over time on ports and links in the multi-layer network for one of Layer 0 and Layer 1 traffic using a plurality of statistical parameters, wherein the plurality of statistical parameters are defined for the one of Layer 0 and Layer 1 traffic; monitoring the plurality of statistical parameters; and triggering based on the monitoring one of i) adjustments to the one of Layer 0 and Layer 1 traffic and ii) adjustments to routing parameters on the links for new traffic, wherein the triggering is one of through a control plane and a Software Defined Networking (SDN) controller.

Abstract: A method, in a node operating in a network with a control plane, to optimize wavelength retuning on service redials, includes detecting a failure on a link associated with the node; and, for each affected connections on the link, sending a respective release message to an associated originating node via the control plane, the release message including a protect path and a wavelength, wherein the release message is utilized by the associated originating node to redial the affected connections with the protect path and the wavelength determined by the node, to minimize wavelength retuning on the affected connections.

Abstract: Systems and methods providing resiliency between a server layer and a client layer include determining a minimal spanning tree in the client layer; determining a Steiner tree in the server layer based on vertices associated with the minimal spanning tree in the client layer; and determining one or more resiliency paths in the client layer based on the minimal spanning tree and the Steiner tree, wherein the one or more resiliency paths are added to the minimal spanning tree in the client layer based on potential failures in the Steiner tree. For example, the server layer is an optical layer and the client layer is a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) layer.

Abstract: A method includes profiling user-network interface (UNI) ports including Optical channel Data Unit flex (ODUflex) in a network; and adapting, using a max-flow routing criterion, network-network interface (NNI) ports comprising ODUflex based on the profiling. A network includes a plurality of network elements; a plurality of links interconnecting the plurality of network elements, wherein the plurality of links includes Layer 0 Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) bandwidth and Layer 1 Optical Transport Network (OTN) bandwidth; and a control plane operating between the plurality of network elements; wherein the Layer 0 DWDM bandwidth and the Layer 1 OTN bandwidth is statistically multiplexed using the control plane and manager based on monitoring bandwidth usage thereon over time.

Abstract: An Optical channel Data Unit flex (ODUflex) resizing method, node, and network include determining that the ODUflex needs resizing, wherein the ODUflex is configured in the network on a current path between the node and a second node in the network; when the resizing is a decrease, reducing a size of the ODUflex by i) a resize decrease operation using a control plane or ii) a Link Aggregation Group and Make-Before-Break operation; and, when the resizing is an increase, increasing a size of the ODUflex by i) a resize increase operation using a control plane or ii) a Link Aggregation Group and Make-Before-Break operation. The method provides hitless resizing without using ITU Recommendation G.7044/Y.1347 (10/11) and can perform the reducing or the increasing changing bandwidth of the ODUflex by approximately 100 G in less than a second.