Methods and systems for carrying synchronization over ethernet and optical transport network

摘要

The present disclosure relates to carrying synchronization through Ethernet, Optical Transport Network (OTN), and other asynchronous protocols. In one exemplary embodiment, timing markers or symbols are used in packets to enable a downstream device to recover timing based upon a time differential between markers or symbols. Advantageously, enabling Ethernet, OTN, etc. to carry synchronous information will de-risk switching from SONET/SDH to Ethernet and/or OTN for service providers. The present disclosure also includes frame decomposition scheme of the Ethernet stream. Ethernet packets are broken into fixed bandwidth and excess bandwidth. The fixed bandwidth is subdivided into fixed (negotiated) flits, with each flit corresponding to a specific user or combination of users like a private tunnel. This offers service providers a method to provide deterministic and more secure bandwidth over Ethernet to multiple clients.

主权项

1. A method for carrying synchronization, comprising:
inserting a first timing marker via a symbol in a line encoding scheme associated with a signal comprising Optical Transport Network (OTN) carrying an Ethernet stream, wherein both OTN and the Ethernet stream are asynchronous, wherein the first timing marker points to a second timing marker, wherein the first timing marker is configured to subdivide the Ethernet stream into fixed flits utilized for frame decomposition of the Ethernet stream for one or more clients, and wherein the fixed flits are collectively multiplexed to a higher rate in the Ethernet stream; transmitting the signal with the first timing marker in the Ethernet stream within a payload of an OTN frame to a downstream node; and establishing a timing reference based upon the first timing marker by extracting the first timing marker and the second timing marker from the payload.