Hitless reconfiguration of a wavelength division multiplexed optical communication network

US6075631A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Bell Communications Research, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Krishna Bala · Kingston, US
• Gee-Kung Chang · New Providence, US
• Georgios Ellinas · Weehawken, US
• Michael Post · New York, US
• Chien-Chung Shen · Keansburg, US
• John Yee-Keung Wei · Aberdeen, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 5, 1997
• Grant date: Jun 13, 2000
• Expiry date: Sep 5, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04J14/0284
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A method of reconfiguring a multi-wavelength communication network. The transition includes determining the union of the old and new topologies. During at least the start of the transition, the network supports the union topology. New connections are connected according to the new topology, and the old topology, as its connections expire, is gradually removed. In allocating wavelengths to a new topology, two algorithms are developed which assign wavelengths which do not color clash with the wavelength assignments of the old topology.