Survivable architectures for power-savings capable converged access networks

Abstract

The reliance on the loss-of-signal (LOS) of upstream transmissions to indicate fiber/component failure is potentially unsuitable in networks that implement sleep/doze mode operation. In such networks, the transition into sleep/doze mode would result in no signal transmission, and when used in conjunction with conventional LOS to indicate network failure, would result in erroneous triggering of false alarm and subsequently protection switching. Recently, converged access networks using a hybrid passive optical architecture, have been favored as a low-cost and high-bandwidth solution to deliver high-bandwidth applications to both fixed access and mobile users. These networks are referred to as Hybrid PON Converged Access Networks. Protection against fiber/equipment failures in these networks is critical considering the customer base, network span, and traffic supported. This paper proposes four survivable architectures for such converged access networks. These architectures combine rapid fault detection and protection switching against high impact failures but without the need to rely on upstream transmissions for LOS detection. A comparison of the four architectures across three different area densities under three deployment scenarios, is presented. Guidance for selecting the best protection architecture to be deployed, considering area densities and deployment scenarios, is provided.