Abstract: A system for protecting optical paths may exchange first optical signal traffic between source and destination locations over a first fiber cable comprising optical signals having wavelengths within a first predefined optical wavelength band, exchange second optical signal traffic between the source and destination locations over a second fiber cable comprising optical signals having wavelengths within the first optical wavelength band, convert the first optical signal traffic to third optical signal traffic comprising optical signals having wavelengths within a second predefined optical wavelength band, detect an interruption in the exchange of the first optical signal traffic and, in response to detecting the interruption, cause the third optical signal traffic to be carried from the first location to the second location over the second fiber cable in the second optical wavelength band while the second optical signal traffic is exchanged over the second fiber cable in the first optical wavelength band.

Abstract: Methods and systems of a disaggregated integrated synchronous optical network (SONET) and optical transport network (OTN) switching system that includes using plug-in universal (PIU) modules for OTN to Ethernet transceiving, SONET PIU modules for Ethernet to SONET transceiving, and an Ethernet fabric as a switching core are disclosed. An OTN over Ethernet module in each of the PIU modules and an Ethernet over SONET module in each of the SONET PIU modules may enable various SONET and OTN functionality to be realized using the Ethernet fabric which may include multiple Ethernet switches.

Abstract: Systems and Methods for switching optical data units (ODUs) and Internet Protocol (IP) packets as Ethernet packets in an optical transport network (OTN), IP, and Ethernet switching system. The OTN, IP, and Ethernet switching system may include an Ethernet fabric having a set of M Ethernet switches each including a set of N switch ports, and a set of N input/output (IO) devices each including a set of W IO ports, a set of M Ethernet ports, an IO side packet processor (IOSP), and a fabric side packet processor (FSP). Each Ethernet switch may establish switch queues. Each IO device may establish a set of M hierarchical virtual output queues each including a set of N ingress-IOSP queues and ingress-virtual output queues, a set of W egress-IOSP queues, a set of M ingress-FSP queues, and a set of N hierarchical virtual input queues each including a set of N egress-FSP queues and egress-virtual input queues.

Abstract: Methods and systems for optical data unit (ODU) path protection in a disaggregated optical transport network (OTN) switching system that include using plug-in universal (PIU) modules each having multiple ports for OTN to Ethernet transceiving and an Ethernet fabric as a switching core are disclosed. An OTN over Ethernet module in each of the PIU modules may enable various OTN functionality to be realized using the Ethernet fabric which may include multiple Ethernet switches. An egress PIU module may receive Ethernet packets via the Ethernet fabric from a working ODU path. In response to determining that a protection switch using a protection ODU path may be performed on the working ODU path, the egress PIU module may receive the Ethernet packets via the Ethernet fabric from the protection ODU path.

Abstract: Methods and systems for Ethernet fabric protection in a disaggregated OTN switching system that include PIU modules each having multiple ports for OTN to Ethernet transceiving and an Ethernet fabric as a switching core are disclosed. An OTN over Ethernet module in each of the PIU modules may enable various OTN functionality to be realized using the Ethernet fabric which may include multiple Ethernet fabric planes. A PIU module may transmit Ethernet packets using a first working port over a first Ethernet fabric plane and may transmit Ethernet packets using a second working port over a second Ethernet fabric plane. When the PIU module detects a fault condition on the second Ethernet fabric plane, the PIU module may transmit Ethernet packets using a third protection port over the first Ethernet fabric plane instead of using the second working port.

Abstract: Methods and systems of a leased line appliance (LLA) network switching system that includes using LLAs for leased line circuits (LLCs) to Internet Protocol (IP) transceiving, IP to LLCs transceiving, and an IP switch fabric having multiple parallel paths as a switching/routing network are disclosed. Each of the LLAs at the edge of the IP switch fabric may perform LLC to IP packet assembly procedures, may perform IP packet to LLC re-assembly procedures, and may utilize the protocol fields of the IP packet header of the IP packet for IP packet transport, which may enable the transport of very high speed leased line services to be carried over an IP/MPLS network using the IP switch fabric.

Abstract: Methods and systems for Ethernet fabric protection in a disaggregated OTN switching system that include PIU modules each having multiple ports for OTN to Ethernet transceiving and an Ethernet fabric as a switching core are disclosed. An OTN over Ethernet module in each of the PIU modules may enable various OTN functionality to be realized using the Ethernet fabric which may include multiple Ethernet fabric planes. A PIU module may transmit Ethernet packets using a first working port over a first Ethernet fabric plane and may transmit Ethernet packets using a second working port over a second Ethernet fabric plane. When the PIU module detects a fault condition on the second Ethernet fabric plane, the PIU module may transmit Ethernet packets using a third protection port over the first Ethernet fabric plane instead of using the second working port.

Abstract: Methods and systems of a disaggregated integrated synchronous optical network (SONET) and optical transport network (OTN) switching system that includes using plug-in universal (PIU) modules for OTN to Ethernet transceiving, SONET PIU modules for Ethernet to SONET transceiving, and an Ethernet fabric as a switching core are disclosed. An OTN over Ethernet module in each of the PIU modules and an Ethernet over SONET module in each of the SONET PIU modules may enable various SONET and OTN functionality to be realized using the Ethernet fabric which may include multiple Ethernet switches.

Abstract: Methods and systems of a disaggregated optical transport network (OTN) switching system that include using plug-in universal (PIU) modules for OTN to Ethernet transceiving and an Ethernet fabric as a switching core are disclosed. An OTN over Ethernet module in each of the PIU modules may enable various OTN functionality to be realized using the Ethernet fabric which may include multiple Ethernet switches. A virtual line card may include a logical aggregation of a kth Ethernet switch sub-port of each of the corresponding Ethernet switch ports of each of the Ethernet switches. A virtual switch fabric may include multiple virtual line cards for the OTN switching system. Each of the virtual line cards may be associated with a virtual address that may correspond to a respective PIU module. The virtual address may include a media access control address associated with the respective PIU module.

Abstract: Methods and systems for Ethernet fabric protection in a disaggregated OTN switching system that include PIU modules each having multiple ports for OTN to Ethernet transceiving and an Ethernet fabric as a switching core are disclosed. An OTN over Ethernet module in each of the PIU modules may enable various OTN functionality to be realized using the Ethernet fabric which may include multiple Ethernet switches. A first PIU module may detect a fault condition on an Ethernet fabric plane of the Ethernet fabric. In response to the detection, the OTN switching system may transmit the fault condition to other PIU modules to redirect optical data unit traffic away from the fault on the Ethernet fabric plane.

Abstract: Methods and systems of a disaggregated optical transport network (OTN) switching system that include using plug-in universal (PIU) modules each having multiple ports for OTN to Ethernet transceiving and an Ethernet fabric as a switching core are disclosed. An OTN over Ethernet module in each of the PIU modules may enable various OTN functionality to be realized using the Ethernet fabric which may include multiple Ethernet switches. An ith port of the multiple ports of each PIU module may be connected to the ith Ethernet switch of each of the Ethernet switches. A PIU module may be associated with a respective sequential order of the Ethernet switches. The PIU module may transmit an Ethernet packet from an ith port of the PIU module corresponding to the ith Ethernet switch, where the ith port is selected based on the respective sequential order of the Ethernet switches.

Abstract: Methods and systems for Ethernet fabric protection in a disaggregated OTN switching system that include PIU modules each having multiple ports for OTN to Ethernet transceiving and an Ethernet fabric as a switching core are disclosed. An OTN over Ethernet module in each of the PIU modules may enable various OTN functionality to be realized using the Ethernet fabric which may include multiple Ethernet switches. A first PIU module may detect a fault condition on an Ethernet fabric plane of the Ethernet fabric. In response to the detection, the OTN switching system may transmit the fault condition to other PIU modules to redirect optical data unit traffic away from the fault on the Ethernet fabric plane.

Abstract: Methods and systems of a disaggregated optical transport network (OTN) switching system that include using plug-in universal (PIU) modules for OTN to Ethernet transceiving and an Ethernet fabric as a switching core are disclosed. An OTN over Ethernet module in each of the PIU modules may enable various OTN functionality to be realized using the Ethernet fabric which may include multiple Ethernet switches. A virtual line card may include a logical aggregation of a kth Ethernet switch sub-port of each of the corresponding Ethernet switch ports of each of the Ethernet switches. A virtual switch fabric may include multiple virtual line cards for the OTN switching system. Each of the virtual line cards may be associated with a virtual address that may correspond to a respective PIU module. The virtual address may include a media access control address associated with the respective PIU module.

Abstract: Methods and systems for optical data unit (ODU) path protection in a disaggregated optical transport network (OTN) switching system that include using plug-in universal (PIU) modules each having multiple ports for OTN to Ethernet transceiving and an Ethernet fabric as a switching core are disclosed. An OTN over Ethernet module in each of the PIU modules may enable various OTN functionality to be realized using the Ethernet fabric which may include multiple Ethernet switches. An egress PIU module may receive Ethernet packets via the Ethernet fabric from a working ODU path. In response to determining that a protection switch using a protection ODU path may be performed on the working ODU path, the egress PIU module may receive the Ethernet packets via the Ethernet fabric from the protection ODU path.

Abstract: Methods and systems of a disaggregated optical transport network (OTN) switching system that include using plug-in universal (PIU) modules each having multiple ports for OTN to Ethernet transceiving and an Ethernet fabric as a switching core are disclosed. An OTN over Ethernet module in each of the PIU modules may enable various OTN functionality to be realized using the Ethernet fabric which may include multiple Ethernet switches. An ith port of the multiple ports of each PIU module may be connected to the ith Ethernet switch of each of the Ethernet switches. A PIU module may be associated with a respective sequential order of the Ethernet switches. The PIU module may transmit an Ethernet packet from an ith port of the PIU module corresponding to the ith Ethernet switch, where the ith port is selected based on the respective sequential order of the Ethernet switches.

Abstract: Generating a path inventory for a communication network includes sending a path message through a sequence of nodes of the communication network. The sequence of nodes comprises an initiating node, a set of intermediate nodes, and a terminating node. The path message is sent from the initiating node, through the set of intermediate nodes, to the terminating node. The path message sent from the initiating node may not have a specified destination address. The following is repeated for each node of the set of intermediate nodes: establishing a next node subsequent to the each node, and gathering path information about the next node in the path message. The path message is received at the terminating node, and the path information is recorded in a return message.

Abstract: Communicating configuration information for an end system includes generating an end system hello packet at an end system of a network. The end system corresponds to a host, and is operable to support the Internet Protocol (IP). An end system IP address identifying the end system is inserted into a field of the end system hello packet. The end system hello packet is sent to an intermediate system corresponding to a router of the network.