Unified Network Management of Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) Network

摘要

Embodiments enable a network operator to use any (and a single) network management system (NMS) that it desires to manage a network having mixed fiber to the home optical network units (ONUs) and coaxial connected cable modems. For example, embodiments enable a cable company operator to use a DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) NMS (which the cable company already uses to manage its DOCSIS network) to manage such mixed network, by a simple addition of a DOCSIS Mediation Layer (DML) module between the NMS and the optical line terminal (OLT). On the other hand, embodiments enable a telephone company operator to use a standard EPON (Ethernet Passive Optical Network) OLT NMS with minor OLT and OAM (Operations, Administration, and Maintenance) protocol modifications to manage the same mixed network.

主权项

1. A method for enabling unified management of fiber connected optical network units (ONUs) and coaxial connected cable modems (CMs) in a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network, comprising:
receiving, by an Optical Line Terminal (OLT), a management command from a network management system (NMS), the management command intended for a fiber connected ONU or a coaxial connected CM of the HFC, wherein the management command has a common format whether intended for the ONU or the CM; generating, by the OLT, an Ethernet Passive Optical Network (EPON) Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) message based on the management command, wherein the EPON OAM message includes a CM context field when the message is intended for the coaxial connected CM; and sending the EPON OAM message to a coaxial media converter (CMC) that serves the CM when the management command is intended for the coaxial connected CM.