Abstract: Systems and methods provide a guided cable assist that blinks port LEDs on the faceplate cage of modules as an indication that assists the user in cabling a system optimally from start to finish. The systems and methods include receiving a signal responsive to a first end of a cable being coupled to a first port in a system; providing an indication, wherein the indication signifies where a second end of the cable is to be coupled; and responsive to the second end of the cable being coupled, performing a validation check of the cable connection.

Abstract: A hardened optical platform includes a hardened enclosure including a door that when closed environmentally seals the hardened enclosure; a first set including one of more modules; a second set including one or more modules arranged substantially perpendicular to the first set; and high-speed cabling interconnecting the first set to the second set, wherein the hardened optical platform is passively cooled with the hardened enclosure and the door being weatherproof thereby having no airflow internally from a surrounding environment.

Abstract: A line module configured to provide a protected transponded service includes a plurality of ports; switch interface circuitry communicatively coupled to a switch module; and interface circuitry communicatively coupled to the plurality of ports and the switch interface circuitry, wherein the interface circuitry includes a cross-point switch between the plurality of ports and the switch interface circuitry; wherein bandwidth of the plurality of ports is greater than bandwidth of the switch interface circuitry to the switch module; and wherein the protected transponded service is configured between the plurality of ports directly via the interface circuitry and is selectively routed to the switch module via the switch interface circuitry for restoration thereof, responsive to a failure.

Abstract: Methods and systems can suppress invalid defect detection when Out-Of-Frame (OOF) conditions occur within an Optical Transport Network. One method for processing a report of a defect during an OOF condition may include detecting the OOF condition at a downstream node, detecting an indication of the defect caused by the OOF condition, suppressing a report associated with the indication of the defect, determining whether the OOF condition is clear, determining whether the indication of the defect is still present if the OOF condition is clear; and cancelling the report if the indication of the defect is not present. A network node which processes a report of a defect during an OOF condition may include a network interface, and a processor which is coupled to the network interface. The processor may be configured to perform a method for suppressing invalid defect detection during OOF conditions.

Abstract: Systems and methods for service preemption selection in a network include receiving, from an ingress link, a request to establish a service on a path in the network while preempting one or more existing services if required to establish the service, wherein the request comprises a list of any previously selected services for preemption and an indication of whether preemption is required on the ingress link, wherein the service and the one or more existing services comprise an end-to-end path in the network; selecting, if required based on the indication, one or more services for preemption on the ingress link based on service selection criteria; and forwarding the request on an egress link to an adjacent node with any updates based on the selecting.

Abstract: Systems and methods for service preemption selection in a network include receiving, from an ingress link, a request to establish a service on a path in the network while preempting one or more existing services if required to establish the service, wherein the request comprises a list of any previously selected services for preemption and an indication of whether preemption is required on the ingress link, wherein the service and the one or more existing services comprise an end-to-end path in the network; selecting, if required based on the indication, one or more services for preemption on the ingress link based on service selection criteria; and forwarding the request on an egress link to an adjacent node with any updates based on the selecting.

Abstract: Systems and methods for service preemption selection implemented by a node in a network include receiving, from an ingress link, a request to establish a service on a path in the network while preempting one or more existing services if required to establish the service, wherein the request comprises a list of any previously selected services for preemption and an indication of whether preemption is required on the ingress link; selecting, if required based on the indication, one or more services for preemption on the ingress link based on service selection criteria; and forwarding the request on an egress link to an adjacent node with any updates based on the selecting.

Abstract: Systems and methods of flexible behavior modification of a service implemented in a node during restoration in an optical network include provisioning the service on a home route with a first set of attributes; defining one or more protect routes in the network for the service, wherein each of the one or more protect routes have a corresponding set of attributes which differs from the first set of attributes; and, responsive to restoration of the service, determining a protect route of the one or more protect routes to restore the service and changing the service to have the corresponding set of attributes while on the protect route.

Abstract: A network element, in a control plane enabled network, configured to retain a connection's home path while the connection is on an alternate path includes interfaces communicatively coupled to the network to form one or more links; circuitry communicatively coupled to the interfaces, wherein the circuitry is configured to route one or more connections which originate on the network element to the one or more links via the interfaces, wherein each of the one or more connections has an associated home path, and for a connection of the one of more connections which is not on its associated home path, reserve bandwidth for the connection through the control plane on the associated home path.

Abstract: Systems and methods of flexible behavior modification of a service implemented in a node during restoration in an optical network include provisioning the service on a home route with a first set of attributes; defining one or more protect routes in the network for the service, wherein each of the one or more protect routes have a corresponding set of attributes which differs from the first set of attributes; and, responsive to restoration of the service, determining a protect route of the one or more protect routes to restore the service and changing the service to have the corresponding set of attributes while on the protect route.

Abstract: Systems and methods for service preemption selection implemented by a node in a network include receiving, from an ingress link, a request to establish a service on a path in the network while preempting one or more existing services if required to establish the service, wherein the request comprises a list of any previously selected services for preemption and an indication of whether preemption is required on the ingress link; selecting, if required based on the indication, one or more services for preemption on the ingress link based on service selection criteria; and forwarding the request on an egress link to an adjacent node with any updates based on the selecting.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides Network Element (NE) clock synchronization using Optical Transport Network (OTN) delay measurement systems and methods such as described in ITU-T G.709 (December 2009) “Interfaces for the Optical Transport Network (OTN)” and G.798 (October 2010) “Characteristics of optical transport network hierarchy equipment functional blocks”. OTN provides a Delay Measurement (DM) function to measure fiber path latency between two network elements to within microsecond accuracy. The convergence of packet switching and OTN transport into the same network element allows the sharing of this information between the two applications. The OTN delay measurement value can be used to synchronize two network element clocks to within microsecond accuracy without the need for a costly GPS synchronization solution or reduced accuracy NTP solutions.

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.

Abstract: A method, a controller, and an Optical Transport Network (OTN) network include provisioning an end-to-end path with a defined committed information rate (CIR) and a peak information rate (PIR) via an optical control plane; computing a path for the end-to-end path based on the CIR and the PIR; configuring the end-to-end path on the computed path at an Optical Channel Data Unit (ODU) data rate supporting the PIR if the computed path can support the PIR or at the ODU data rate supporting the CIR if the computed path can support the CIR and not the PIR; and adjusting the ODU data rate of the end-to-end path based on a rate adjustment requirement in the OTN network and based on the CIR and the PIR.

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.

Abstract: The disclosure generally relates to mechanisms to protect hybrid networking equipment at a port level granularity and thereby provide capabilities to specify the protection of client services on a port-by-port basis. For example, in one embodiment, a Virtual Connection Point (VCP) may be established as a termination point for a transport-side network connection and configured as a Layer 1 bridge/select connection to switch among any one of a plurality of backplane Layer 1 termination points. The plurality of backplane Layer 1 termination points may be protected using a link aggregation group, wherein a Layer 2 switch may be established to direct packets between the link aggregation group and the VCP configured as the Layer 1 bridge/select connection.

Abstract: A network element, in a control plane enabled network, configured to retain a connection's home path while the connection is on an alternate path includes interfaces communicatively coupled to the network to form one or more links; circuitry communicatively coupled to the interfaces, wherein the circuitry is configured to route one or more connections which originate on the network element to the one or more links via the interfaces, wherein each of the one or more connections has an associated home path, and for a connection of the one of more connections which is not on its associated home path, advertise a virtual connection for the connection through the control plane to reserve the associated home path.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides Optical Transport Network (OTN) port protection systems and methods using flexible switch criteria. Specifically, the OTN port protection systems and methods provide linear protection in OTN such as 1+1 Protection with Automatic Protection Switching (APS) and/or 1+1 Subnetwork Connection Protection (SNCP) Protection. The OTN Port Protection with flexible switch criteria allows a user to provision a protection application on an OTN Port and select a switch criteria, Section Monitoring, Path Monitoring, or Tandem Connection Monitoring, without considering the provisioning state of an Optical channel Data Unit level k (ODUk) entity. The ODUk entity may either be cross-connected in the LO case or terminated in the HO case. The ODUk entity may be provisioned independently, after the port protection has been established.

Abstract: A method, a controller, and an Optical Transport Network (OTN) network include provisioning an end-to-end path with a defined committed information rate (CIR) and a peak information rate (PIR) via an optical control plane; computing a path for the end-to-end path based on the CIR and the PIR; configuring the end-to-end path on the computed path at an Optical Channel Data Unit (ODU) data rate supporting the PIR if the computed path can support the PIR or at the ODU data rate supporting the CIR if the computed path can support the CIR and not the PIR; and adjusting the ODU data rate of the end-to-end path based on a rate adjustment requirement in the OTN network and based on the CIR and the PIR.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for reserving a connection's home path resources and restoring the connection on a link that includes a reserved priority bandwidth. A bandwidth advertisement indicating that the reserved priority bandwidth is available is analyzed and a restoration request requesting to route the connection on the link is sent. The reserved priority bandwidth is used to route the connection when the connection has a reserved home path on the link. When the connection has a reserved home path not on the link, a determination is made as to whether a normal priority bandwidth on the link is available and whether the connection is unrestorable on another link. The reserved priority bandwidth is used to temporarily route the connection when normal priority bandwidth on the link is unavailable and the connection is unrestorable on another link.