Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for operating optical networks and performing defragmentation operations. Embodiments include computer systems and computer program products comprising a computer readable storage and a processor. Upon receiving information indicative of a spectrum assignment on the optical network, a target entity associated with a set of optical channels and a potential spectrum path are identified. The target entity can be defragmented to enable the potential spectrum path, comprising reconfiguring at least one existing spectrum path associated with an optical channel in the set of optical channels. The potential spectrum path may then be reconfigured to a continuous and contiguous band of slice on at least one optical channel associated with the target entity.

Abstract: A system and method for network planning with certain guarantees is disclosed. The system receives data characterizing various aspects of a backbone network, such as the nodes of the backbone network, how the nodes are connected by network links, the maximum available capacities of the network assets, network costs, and network asset reliability information. The system also receives data characterizing the requirements of different data communications, or flows, within the backbone network. For example, the backbone network may need to provide a flow a minimum amount of bandwidth or throughput, and the flow may have a minimum required uptime or availability. Based on the network data and flow data, the system generates a network plan that describes how capacity should be provided by different components of the network in a manner that guarantees satisfying flow requirements while balancing other considerations, such as network costs.

Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include (i) generating a data center constraint model by placing a constraint on a total amount of ingress or egress traffic a service expects from each respective data center of multiple data centers, (ii) filtering a set of traffic matrices that indicate points in the data center constraint model by comparing the set of traffic matrices against cut sets of a network topology that indicate network failures to create a tractable set of dominating traffic matrices, (iii) obtaining physical network resources to implement a cross-layer network upgrade architecture that satisfies the tractable set of dominating traffic matrices, and (iv) allocating the physical network resources across the multiple data centers according to the cross-layer network upgrade architecture such that a capacity level of the multiple data centers is increased while satisfying the data center constraint model. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and system for allocating network resources are described. The method includes receiving a plurality of forecasted network traffic patterns for a network. A representative subset of the plurality of forecasted network traffic patterns is selected based on an analysis of the plurality of forecasted network traffic patterns using a topology of the network. The selected representative subset of the plurality of forecasted network traffic patterns is used to determine a resource allocation for the network.

Abstract: Disclosed are fiber amplifiers with multiple pumping sources including multiple optical sources or an optical comb source with multiple spectral lines. A comb source may include generating a plurality of evenly spaced or nearly evenly spaced spectral lines. The optical comb source may pump a fiber by propagating optical energy at the multiple spectral lines through the fiber. The comb source may cause gain in the fiber at in a band of wavelengths different from the spectral lines of the comb source. A weak signal injected into the fiber that propagates in the fiber will experience optical gain in the fiber producing an amplified signal at the wavelength within a band of wavelengths different from the comb source wavelengths. When the bandwidth of the multiple bands of gain is wide, the amplifier may be referred to as an ultra-wideband amplifier.

Abstract: A system and method for network planning with certain guarantees is disclosed. The system receives data characterizing various aspects of a backbone network, such as the nodes of the backbone network, how the nodes are connected by network links, the maximum available capacities of the network assets, network costs, and network asset reliability information. The system also receives data characterizing the requirements of different data communications, or flows, within the backbone network. For example, the backbone network may need to provide a flow a minimum amount of bandwidth or throughput, and the flow may have a minimum required uptime or availability. Based on the network data and flow data, the system generates a network plan that describes how capacity should be provided by different components of the network in a manner that guarantees satisfying flow requirements while balancing other considerations, such as network costs.

Abstract: Aspects of an optical communications network are described that include two or more optical fibers arranged to allow communication in the same or in opposite directions. The optical network includes a first optical amplifier coupled to the first optical fiber, a second optical amplifier coupled to the second optical fiber, and an optical coupler that allows excess optical power from the first optical fiber to be provided for amplification of signals traversing the second optical fiber. The disclosed systems and devices thus enable excess power from one channel to be utilized to enable amplification of signals traveling on a different channel.

Abstract: A direction-switchable transponder of a high speed communications network, e.g., an fiber optic data communications network, is capable of dynamically reversing the data traffic flow of its various communications channels in response to a signal. The signal can specify a number of channels, a channel map, or a required bandwidth. The direction-switchable transponder can receive a signal relating to network bandwidth requirements; select, based on the received signal, one or more fiber optic channels for reversing direction of flow of network traffic; and dynamically and automatically reconfigure the selected fiber optic signal to reverse direction of flow of network traffic. By responding to asymmetric bandwidth requirements, the direction-switchable transponder uses high speed communications network lines more efficiently.

Abstract: Aspects of an optical communications network are described that include two or more optical fibers arranged to allow communication in the same direction. The optical network includes a first optical amplifier coupled to the first optical fiber, a second optical amplifier coupled to the second optical fiber, a first optical pump to provide optical power to the first optical fiber, and a second pump to provide optical power to both the first and the second optical fibers. By sharing the second pump between the first and the second optical fibers, a need to deploy additional pumps is alleviated. Scaling of the optical network to include additional optical fibers provides further cost savings by allowing more pumps to be shared among the multiple optical fibers.

Abstract: A system and method for network planning with certain guarantees is disclosed. The system receives data characterizing various aspects of a backbone network, such as the nodes of the backbone network, how the nodes are connected by network links, the maximum available capacities of the network assets, network costs, and network asset reliability information. The system also receives data characterizing the requirements of different data communications, or flows, within the backbone network. For example, the backbone network may need to provide a flow a minimum amount of bandwidth or throughput, and the flow may have a minimum required uptime or availability. Based on the network data and flow data, the system generates a network plan that describes how capacity should be provided by different components of the network in a manner that guarantees satisfying flow requirements while balancing other considerations, such as network costs.

Abstract: Aspects of an optical communications network are described that include two or more optical fibers arranged to allow communication in the same direction. The optical network includes a first optical amplifier coupled to the first optical fiber, a second optical amplifier coupled to the second optical fiber, a first optical pump to provide optical power to the first optical fiber, and a second pump to provide optical power to both the first and the second optical fibers. By sharing the second pump between the first and the second optical fibers, a need to deploy additional pumps is alleviated. Scaling of the optical network to include additional optical fibers provides further cost savings by allowing more pumps to be shared among the multiple optical fibers.

Abstract: Disclosed are fiber amplifiers with multiple pumping sources including multiple optical sources or an optical comb source with multiple spectral lines. A comb source may include generating a plurality of evenly spaced or nearly evenly spaced spectral lines. The optical comb source may pump a fiber by propagating optical energy at the multiple spectral lines through the fiber. The comb source may cause gain in the fiber at in a band of wavelengths different from the spectral lines of the comb source. A weak signal injected into the fiber that propagates in the fiber will experience optical gain in the fiber producing an amplified signal at the wavelength within a band of wavelengths different from the comb source wavelengths. When the bandwidth of the multiple bands of gain is wide, the amplifier may be referred to as an ultra-wideband amplifier.

Abstract: Aspects of an optical communications network are described that include two or more optical fibers arranged to allow communication in the same or in opposite directions. The optical network includes a first optical amplifier coupled to the first optical fiber, a second optical amplifier coupled to the second optical fiber, and an optical coupler that allows excess optical power from the first optical fiber to be provided for amplification of signals traversing the second optical fiber. The disclosed systems and devices thus enable excess power from one channel to be utilized to enable amplification of signals traveling on a different channel.

Abstract: A direction-switchable transponder of a high speed communications network, e.g., an fiber optic data communications network, is capable of dynamically reversing the data traffic flow of its various communications channels in response to a signal. The signal can specify a number of channels, a channel map, or a required bandwidth. The direction-switchable transponder can receive a signal relating to network bandwidth requirements; select, based on the received signal, one or more fiber optic channels for reversing direction of flow of network traffic; and dynamically and automatically reconfigure the selected fiber optic signal to reverse direction of flow of network traffic. By responding to asymmetric bandwidth requirements, the direction-switchable transponder uses high speed communications network lines more efficiently.

Abstract: A fiber optic switching network includes a comb laser source that provides laser light at a plurality of wavelengths on a single optical fiber. Light from the comb laser source is directed into different optical fibers by a demultiplexer such as an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) or cyclic AWG. Light from the demultiplexer is modulated with one or more demodulators and re-combined with a multiplexer into a single optical fiber for transmission to a destination.

Abstract: A direction-switchable transponder of a high speed communications network, e.g., an fiber optic data communications network, is capable of dynamically reversing the data traffic flow of its various communications channels in response to a signal. The signal can specify a number of channels, a channel map, or a required bandwidth. The direction-switchable transponder can receive a signal relating to network bandwidth requirements; select, based on the received signal, one or more fiber optic channels for reversing direction of flow of network traffic; and dynamically and automatically reconfigure the selected fiber optic signal to reverse direction of flow of network traffic. By responding to asymmetric bandwidth requirements, the direction-switchable transponder uses high speed communications network lines more efficiently.

Abstract: A network topology is analyzed to identify shared risk link groups, the edge diversities of paths, and maximally diverse edges for paths. During operation of the network for conveying data packets between two end points, data flows are routed in the network by prioritizing the use of resources that do not belong to a shared risk group and are maximally diverse with other edges already being used. Various load balancing techniques can be used to minimize the risk of serious disruption in the event an underlying resource of a shared risk link group goes down.

Abstract: A direction-switchable transponder of a high speed communications network, e.g., an fiber optic data communications network, is capable of dynamically reversing the data traffic flow of its various communications channels in response to a signal. The signal can specify a number of channels, a channel map, or a required bandwidth. The direction-switchable transponder can receive a signal relating to network bandwidth requirements; select, based on the received signal, one or more fiber optic channels for reversing direction of flow of network traffic; and dynamically and automatically reconfigure the selected fiber optic signal to reverse direction of flow of network traffic. By responding to asymmetric bandwidth requirements, the direction-switchable transponder uses high speed communications network lines more efficiently.

Abstract: A fiber optic switching network includes a comb laser source that provides laser light at a plurality of wavelengths on a single optical fiber. Light from the comb laser source is directed into different optical fibers by a demultiplexer such as an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) or cyclic AWG. Light from the demultiplexer is modulated with one or more demodulators and re-combined with a multiplexer into a single optical fiber for transmission to a destination.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes system and methods for network planning. The systems and methods can incorporate network traffic demands, availability requirements, latency, physical infrastructure and networking device capability, and detailed cost structures to calculate a network design with minimum or reduced cost compared to conventional methods. In some implementations, the method include providing an initial, deterministic set of failures, and then successively performing a network optimization and a network availability simulation to determine which failures most impact the performance of the network model. The high impact failures can then be provided back into the system, which generates an improved network design while still maintaining minimum cost.