Abstract: A method and system for remotely upgrading a remote device may be used to upgrade application programs in devices that are difficult to access physically, such as undersea optical devices in an optical communication system. The method and system uses a Non-Erasable Application (NEA) to manage the upgrade of an application program, to determine if the application program is valid, and to provide default application functions if the application program is not valid. The NEA may be stored on a memory that is not remotely erasable and the application program may be stored on a memory that is non-volatile and programmable. Code status indicators may be used to indicate if the application program is valid, for example, to indicate that the code is present and functional.

Abstract: A system and method for method of managing a network. Each of a plurality of servers includes an element management system (EMS) function for managing network elements within the network and a network management system (NMS) function for managing ones of the plurality of servers running the EMS function. An NMS function is activated on one of the servers when the plurality of servers shares a one network domain. When the network domain is divided into multiple domains, e.g. by a network failure, an NMS function is activated on at least one other one of the plurality of servers whereby each of the multiple network domains has at least one associated active NMS function.

Abstract: In general, a system and method provides secure communications between optical transceivers in an optical communication system. Two or more optical transceivers may be provisioned with one or more passcodes assigned to the transceivers, which may be used to indicate that received data traffic is intended for the transceivers. The transceivers may be configured to format data traffic with a secure version of the passcode in the overhead of the outbound signal and may be configured to determine if an inbound signal includes a secure version of the passcode provisioned in that transceiver. A transceiver may prevent data traffic from being read when the transceiver is not provisioned to receive data traffic with the embedded secure passcode and may insert an alternative maintenance signal (AMS) into an outbound signal in an opposite direction, at least temporarily, until the inbound signal includes the appropriate passcode.

Abstract: An inverse multiplexing communication path is established in at least one direction between nodes connected by a plurality of lower bandwidth bearing channels between the nodes, on which the content of a higher bandwidth signal is distributed and from which the original high bandwidth signal is recovered at the receiving node. During preliminary configuration, for example when selecting a subset of bearer channels from among a number of potential bearer channels, the bearer channels are chosen or are altered by signal processing to make the members of the subset perform similarly, thereby improving operations as compared to having the bearer channels bound to perform according to the performance of the least-performing member of the subset.

Abstract: A method and system for distributed fault sensing and recovery in a communication system. A master controller is provided in each cable station of the system. Each master controller receives local alarms, e.g. aggregated alarms from associated shelf controllers, and may receive remote alarms from other master controllers. Local and remote alarms are compared to a profile provisioned in the master controllers for determining whether to perform a fault recovery function.

Abstract: In general, a system and method provides secure communications between optical transceivers in an optical communication system. Two or more optical transceivers may be provisioned with one or more passcodes assigned to the transceivers, which may be used to indicate that received data traffic is intended for the transceivers. The transceivers may be configured to format data traffic with a secure version of the passcode in the overhead of the outbound signal and may be configured to determine if an inbound signal includes a secure version of the passcode provisioned in that transceiver. A transceiver may prevent data traffic from being read when the transceiver is not provisioned to receive data traffic with the embedded secure passcode and may insert an alternative maintenance signal (AMS) into an outbound signal in an opposite direction, at least temporarily, until the inbound signal includes the appropriate passcode.

Abstract: A distributed messaging system and method allows servers in a network to share data, such as network status data associated with all of the servers in the network. In one embodiment, the distributed messaging system and method may be used in element management system (EMS) servers in a distributed network management system (NMS). The servers in the network share the data in a distributed manner by transmitting messages including the network status data, for example, using a star/broadcast method or a circular message queue (CMQ) method.

Abstract: An inverse multiplexing communication path is established in at least one direction between nodes connected by a plurality of lower bandwidth bearing channels between the nodes, on which the content of a higher bandwidth signal is distributed and from which the original high bandwidth signal is recovered at the receiving node. During preliminary configuration, for example when selecting a subset of bearer channels from among a number of potential bearer channels, the bearer channels are chosen or are altered by signal processing to make the members of the subset perform similarly, thereby improving operations as compared to having the bearer channels bound to perform according to the performance of the least-performing member of the subset.

Abstract: A method and system for distributed fault sensing and recovery in a communication system. A master controller is provided in each cable station of the system. Each master controller receives local alarms, e.g. aggregated alarms from associated shelf controllers, and may receive remote alarms from other master controllers. Local and remote alarms are compared to a profile provisioned in the master controllers for determining whether to perform a fault recovery function.

Abstract: A method and system for remotely upgrading a remote device may be used to upgrade application programs in devices that are difficult to access physically, such as undersea optical devices in an optical communication system. The method and system uses a Non-Erasable Application (NEA) to manage the upgrade of an application program, to determine if the application program is valid, and to provide default application functions if the application program is not valid. The NEA may be stored on a memory that is not remotely erasable and the application program may be stored on a memory that is non-volatile and programmable. Code status indicators may be used to indicate if the application program is valid, for example, to indicate that the code is present and functional.

Abstract: A system and method for method of managing a network. Each of a plurality of servers includes an element management system (EMS) function for managing network elements within the network and a network management system (NMS) function for managing ones of the plurality of servers running the EMS function. An NMS function is activated on one of the servers when the plurality of servers shares a one network domain. When the network domain is divided into multiple domains, e.g. by a network failure, an NMS function is activated on at least one other one of the plurality of servers whereby each of the multiple network domains has at least one associated active NMS function.

Abstract: A system and method for diagnosing faults in a communication network using a distributed alarm correlation system. The alarm correlation system may include node-level alarm correlation tools (ACTs) located at nodes in the network to provide node-level alarm correlation producing node-level correlation results. The node-level ACTs may share diagnostic knowledge with other node-level alarm correlation tools at other nodes. Each of the node-level ACTs may also share the diagnostic knowledge and the node-level correlation results with a higher-level ACT. The higher-level ACT may provide higher-level alarm correlation to produce higher-level correlation results.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for maintaining an established error count for data transmitted on a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical communication network. Error counts from a forward error correction (FEC) code are monitored and operational parameters are automatically adjusted in response to the error counts, thereby achieving system optimization in an automated manner.

Abstract: A system and method for diagnosing faults in a communication network using a distributed alarm correlation system. The alarm correlation system may include node-level alarm correlation tools (ACTs) located at nodes in the network to provide node-level alarm correlation producing node-level correlation results. The node-level ACTs may share diagnostic knowledge with other node-level alarm correlation tools at other nodes. Each of the node-level ACTs may also share the diagnostic knowledge and the node-level correlation results with a higher-level ACT. The higher-level ACT may provide higher-level alarm correlation to produce higher-level correlation results.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for maintaining an established error count for data transmitted on a WDM optical communication network. Error counts from an FEC code are monitored and operational parameters are automatically adjusted in response to the error counts, thereby achieving system optimization in an automated manner.