Abstract: One embodiment provides a system and method for automatic discovery and configuration of tunnel endpoints in a network. During operation, the system can broadcast, from an active tunnel endpoint, a peer-discovery-request message to the network. In response to receiving a peer-discovery-response message from a passive tunnel endpoint, the system can determine whether the passive tunnel endpoint has a tunnel based on the received peer-discovery response. In response to determining that the passive tunnel endpoint does not have a tunnel, the system creates a tunnel between the active tunnel endpoint and the passive tunnel endpoint and exchanges tunnel-configuration messages over the created tunnel.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a pluggable optical line terminal (OLT) in a passive optical network (PON). The OLT can include an optical transceiver, a non-volatile storage device storing configurations of the pluggable OLT, and an autonomous boot module configured to access the configurations stored in the storage device when booting the pluggable OLT, thereby enabling plug-and-play operations of the pluggable OLT.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system and method for managing traffic in a network that includes at least a passive optical network (PON). During operation, the system obtains traffic status associated with the PON, generates a traffic-shaping factor for the PON based on the traffic status, and applies traffic shaping for each optical network unit (ONU) within the PON using the generated traffic-shaping factor. The traffic-shaping factor determines a portion of a best-effort data rate to be provided to each ONU.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system and method for automatic discovery and configuration of tunnel endpoints in a network. During operation, the system can broadcast, from an active tunnel endpoint, a peer-discovery-request message to the network. In response to receiving a peer-discovery-response message from a passive tunnel endpoint, the system can determine whether the passive tunnel endpoint has a tunnel based on the received peer-discovery response. In response to determining that the passive tunnel endpoint does not have a tunnel, the system creates a tunnel between the active tunnel endpoint and the passive tunnel endpoint and exchanges tunnel-configuration messages over the created tunnel.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a pluggable optical line terminal (OLT) in a passive optical network (PON). The OLT can include an optical transceiver, a non-volatile storage device storing configurations of the pluggable OLT, and an autonomous boot module configured to access the configurations stored in the storage device when booting the pluggable OLT, thereby enabling plug-and-play operations of the pluggable OLT.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system and method for managing traffic in a network that includes at least a passive optical network (PON). During operation, the system obtains traffic status associated with the PON, generates a traffic-shaping factor for the PON based on the traffic status, and applies traffic shaping for each optical network unit (ONU) within the PON using the generated traffic-shaping factor. The traffic-shaping factor determines a portion of a best-effort data rate to be provided to each ONU.

Abstract: One embodiment provides an apparatus for coupling between a trunk passive optical network (PON) and a leaf PON. The apparatus includes a trunk-side optical transceiver coupled to the trunk PON, a leaf-side optical transceiver coupled to the leaf PON, and an integrated circuit chip that includes an optical network unit (ONU) media access control (MAC) module, an optical line terminal (OLT) MAC module, and an on-chip memory.

Abstract: One embodiment provides an apparatus for coupling a trunk network to a plurality of leaf passive optical networks (PONs). The apparatus includes one or more uplink ports for coupling to the trunk network, a plurality of downlink ports with a respective downlink port coupled to a leaf PON, and a switch chip for interconnecting the uplink ports and the downlink ports. The switch chip acts as a simple Ethernet switch with no traffic control ability.

Abstract: One embodiment provides an apparatus for coupling between a trunk passive optical network (PON) and a leaf PON. The apparatus includes a trunk-side optical transceiver coupled to the trunk PON, a leaf-side optical transceiver coupled to the leaf PON, and an integrated circuit chip that includes an optical network unit (ONU) media access control (MAC) module, an optical line terminal (OLT) MAC module, and an on-chip memory.

Abstract: One embodiment provides an apparatus for coupling between a trunk passive optical network (PON) and a leaf PON. The apparatus includes a trunk-side optical transceiver coupled to the trunk PON, a leaf-side optical transceiver coupled to the leaf PON, and an integrated circuit chip that includes an optical network unit (ONU) media access control (MAC) module, an optical line terminal (OLT) MAC module, and an on-chip memory.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides an optical line terminal (OLT) in an Ethernet passive optical network (EPON). The OLT includes a number of bi-directional optical transceivers. At least one bi-directional optical transceiver is coupled to an optical network unit (ONU) group that includes a number of ONUs. The OLT further includes a first downstream media access control (MAC) interface configured to provide a first downstream control signal and a splitter configured to split the first downstream control signal to a number of sub-signals. At least one sub-signal is configured to control downstream transmission of a corresponding bi-directional optical transceiver to a corresponding ONU-group.

Abstract: One embodiment provides an optical line terminal (OLT) module in a network device. The OLT module includes an optical signal module, an OLT management module, a scheduler module, and a forwarding module. The optical signal module transmits optical signals to and receives optical signals from a number of optical network units (ONUs). During operation, the OLT management module identifies a remote OLT module operating at a lower upstream data rate than the OLT module. The scheduler module identifies a report message received from a first ONU operating at the lower upstream data rate and generates a grant corresponding to the report message. A grant specifies a time slot for an upstream data burst. The scheduler module includes the grant in a notification frame destined for the remote OLT module. The forwarding module forwards the notification frame to an internal switch of the network device.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a system that performs protection switching in an Ethernet passive optical network (EPON), which includes an optical line terminal (OLT) and at least one optical network unit (ONU). The system is configured with at least one redundant component for the OLT and/or ONUs, wherein the redundant component can be optical or electrical, and can be a port, line card or link. The system provides protection by detecting a failure, and switching automatically to the redundant components to reduce service disruption time. The protection switching comprises: preserving the existing configuration over the loss of at least one of a multiple-point control protocol (MPCP) message; an operations, administration and maintenance (OAM) message; and a signal on the physical layer. The system recovers from the failure without performing ONU discovery.

Abstract: One embodiment provides an apparatus for coupling a trunk network to a plurality of leaf passive optical networks (PONs). The apparatus includes one or more uplink ports for coupling to the trunk network, a plurality of downlink ports with a respective downlink port coupled to a leaf PON, and a switch chip for interconnecting the uplink ports and the downlink ports. The switch chip acts as a simple Ethernet switch with no traffic control ability.

Abstract: One embodiment provides an apparatus for coupling between a trunk passive optical network (PON) and a leaf PON. The apparatus includes a trunk-side optical transceiver coupled to the trunk PON, a leaf-side optical transceiver coupled to the leaf PON, and an integrated circuit chip that includes an optical network unit (ONU) media access control (MAC) module, an optical line terminal (OLT) MAC module, and an on-chip memory.

Abstract: One embodiment provides an optical line terminal (OLT) module in a network device. The OLT module includes an optical signal module, an OLT management module, a scheduler module, and a forwarding module. The optical signal module transmits optical signals to and receives optical signals from a number of optical network units (ONUs). During operation, the OLT management module identifies a remote OLT module operating at a lower upstream data rate than the OLT module. The scheduler module identifies a report message received from a first ONU operating at the lower upstream data rate and generates a grant corresponding to the report message. A grant specifies a time slot for an upstream data burst. The scheduler module includes the grant in a notification frame destined for the remote OLT module. The forwarding module forwards the notification frame to an internal switch of the network device.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a media access control (MAC) module facilitating operations of an Ethernet passive optical network (EPON). The MAC module includes a frame formatter configured to generate a MAC control frame. The generated MAC control frame includes at least one of: an organizationally unique identifier (OUI) field, an QUI-specific operation code (opcode) field, and a number of fields associated with the QUI-specific opcode. Transmission of the MAC control frame facilitates realization of an EPON function based on the fields associated with the QUI-specific opcode.

Abstract: One embodiment provides an Ethernet Passive Optical Network (EPON) system for clock transport. The system includes a reference clock configured to generate a frequency-reference signal, an optical line terminal (OLT) coupled to the reference clock, and an optical network unit (ONU). The OLT includes a clock generator configured to generate an OLT clock based on at least the frequency-reference signal. The ONU includes an optical transceiver, a clock recovery module, and a clock output mechanism. The optical transceiver is configured to transmit optical signals to and receive optical signals from the OLT. The clock-recovery module is configured to recover the frequency-reference signal from the received optical signals. The clock output mechanism is configured to output the recovered frequency-reference signal, thus facilitating transport of the frequency-reference signal over the EPON.

Abstract: One embodiment provides an EPON for transporting RF signals. The system includes a reference clock, an ONU, and an OLT. The ONU includes a mechanism for receiving a frequency and phase-reference signal from the OLT, a mechanism for receiving an RF signal, an ADC for converting the RF signal into a digital signal using a sampling signal associated with the frequency and phase-reference signal, a mechanism for assembling at least a portion of the digital signal into a packet, a mechanism configured to timestamp the packet, and an optical transceiver. The OLT includes a mechanism for receiving the packet, a buffer, a delay mechanism configured to delay reading the received packet from the buffer for a predetermined amount of time, and a DAC for converting the digital signal included in the packet back to RF domain using a clock signal associated with the frequency and phase-reference signal.

Abstract: A system and method for reducing power consumption in a Passive Optic Network (PON). The system comprises an optical line terminal (OLT), an optical network unit (ONU), a traffic-detection module configured to detect status of traffic to and from the ONU, and a power-management module configured to place the ONU in sleep mode based on the detected traffic status. The ONU includes transmitting and receiving components that are selectively powered down during the sleep mode based on a type of traffic in the ONU.