Method and apparatus for automatic discovery in optical transport networks

摘要

In order to improve the link adjacency discovery in an Optical Transport Network, a method and related network nodes are provided. A first network node (21) has a first discovery agent (216) and a second network node (22) has a second discovery agent (226). A discovery message (210) is transmitted from a first interface of the first network node (21) over one or more subsequent network links (25, 26, 27) to a second interface of the second network node (22). The discovery message (210) contains information indicative of an discovery agent identifier associated with the first discovery agent (216) and of a termination connection point identifier associated with the first interface. In order to transmit the discovery message (210), the first interface is configured to perform a tandem connection source function (217) using a reserved field in an overhead portion of signal frames to be transmitted. The second interface is configured to perform a Tandem Connection Monitoring function (227) on the same reserved field of received signal frames. The discovery message is sent using a Trail Trace Identifier (TT!) byte available in the reserved field.

主权项

1. A method for supporting automatic Layer Adjacency Discovery in an Optical Transport Network between a first network node having a first discovery agent and a second network node having a second discovery agent;
the method comprising transmitting a Layer Adjacency Discovery message from a first interface of the first network node over one or more subsequent network links of said Optical Transport Network to a second interface of the second network node, said Layer Adjacency Discovery message comprising information indicative of a discovery agent identifier associated with the first discovery agent and of a termination connection point identifier associated with the first interface connection point identifier associated with the first interface; said method further comprising: by said first discovery agent, generating said Layer Adjacency Discovery Message, by said first interface, inserting said Layer Adjacency Discovery Message into a Trail Trace Identifier Field of one of six Tandem Connection Monitoring fields of an Optical Data Unit-k (ODU) overhead, by said first interface, transmitting said Layer Adjacency Discovery Message by transmitting said Optical Data Unit-k (ODU) overhead, by said second interface, receiving said Optical Data Unit-k (ODU) overhead, by said second interface, monitoring said Trail Trace Identifier Field of said one of said six Tandem Connection Monitoring fields of said Optical Data Unit-k (ODU) overhead for said Layer Adjacency Discovery Message, by said second interface, providing said monitored Layer Adjacency Discovery Message to said second discovery agent.