JP3778451B2 - Monitoring path switching method and transmission apparatus using the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a monitoring path switching method and a transmission apparatus using the same, and more particularly to a monitoring path switching method for switching a monitoring path of a network monitoring system and a transmission apparatus using the same.

  As shown in the configuration diagram of FIG. 1, in a network system in which a plurality of transmission apparatuses A to F are connected by a transmission path, each of the plurality of transmission apparatuses A to F constituting the network is monitored and controlled by the monitoring control terminal 10. Some systems operate the system by configuring a monitoring control communication path in the network.

  In SONET (Synchronous Optical Network) used in North America, etc., and SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy) used in other countries, the monitoring path control frame is SOH (Section OverHead) or payload of a normal transmission path frame. Assigned to the available bandwidth.

  When changing the network configuration or changing the line, it is necessary to switch the monitoring path control frame from the SOH to the payload, or to switch the allocated band within the payload so as not to affect the band used by the user.

  In addition, when a multiplexing device is passed between transmission devices, only the payload is multiplexed. Therefore, if the monitoring path control frame is assigned to the SOH, the monitoring path control frame is not multiplexed. It is necessary to switch to

  Conventionally, as a method for performing monitoring path switching, as shown in FIG. 2, a method for transmitting a monitoring path switching instruction by broadcast from the monitoring control terminal 10 to all transmission apparatuses A to F in the network, as shown in FIG. As described above, there is a method of manually switching the monitoring path for each transmission device on the front operation panel of each of the transmission devices A to F.

Incidentally, there is described setting control of the monitoring path in the network in Patent Document 1. Further, the Patent Document 2 is described for monitoring path switching when a failure, the Patent Document 3 discloses that switch without error path of a path when a failure.
JP-A 63-21835 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-128640 JP-A-5-110545

  In the method of transmitting a monitoring path switching instruction to the transmission apparatuses A to F in the network by broadcast, if the network is large, the transmission delay and the monitoring processing time of the transmission apparatus are different. Because it is difficult to synchronize path switching and the monitoring path switching timing is different, the switching instruction does not reach the terminal device connected to the end of the network, and the monitoring path control frame allocation bandwidth is different, making monitoring impossible. There was a possibility of becoming.

  Further, in the method in which the monitoring path switching is performed manually for each transmission device, there is a risk that data loss or error may occur due to a time difference between the transmission devices occurring at the time of switching or an operation error.

  It is a general object of the present invention to provide a monitoring path switching method and a transmission apparatus using the monitoring path switching method capable of quickly switching a monitoring path without losing important failure information and control information.

  In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides a band in the transmission path data frame in a monitoring control terminal connected to any transmission apparatus in a network configured by connecting a plurality of transmission apparatuses via a transmission path. A monitoring path switching method for switching a monitoring path by transmitting and receiving monitoring path control information for controlling the monitoring path in a system for monitoring and controlling the plurality of transmission apparatuses using a monitoring path, wherein the monitoring path is switched via a transmission line. Between the two transmission apparatuses facing each other, one transmission apparatus performs loopback control of the monitoring path control information received from the other transmission apparatus, and receives the monitoring path control information transmitted by itself from the other transmission apparatus. As a trigger, the monitoring path is switched.

  According to such a monitoring path switching method, monitoring path switching can be performed in synchronization between transmission apparatuses, and monitoring path switching can be performed quickly without losing important fault information and control information. .

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 4 shows a functional block diagram of an embodiment of the transmission apparatus of the present invention. In this figure, for the sake of simplicity, a description will be given of a configuration in which two transmission devices A and B having the same functional configuration are opposed to each other via a transmission path. In the figure, the monitoring path control unit 20 controls transmission / reception of monitoring path control information (that is, monitoring path control frame) and determines whether or not to perform loopback control based on the received monitoring path control information. The monitoring path information database 22 stores monitoring path control information. A transmission line IF (interface) 24 is a connection part with the transmission line.

  The multiplexing unit 26 performs data multiplexing and loopback control according to instructions from the monitoring path control unit 20. The monitoring path transmission management unit 28 manages the transmission of the monitoring path control information according to an instruction from the monitoring path control unit 20. The monitoring path reception management unit 30 manages reception of the monitoring path control information according to an instruction from the monitoring path control unit 20. The data insertion unit 32 inserts the monitoring path control information from the monitoring path transmission management unit 28 into the band designated by the monitoring path control unit 20 of the transmission path data frame to be transmitted, and the data extraction unit 34 performs the monitoring path control. The monitoring path control information is extracted from the band instructed by the monitoring path control unit 20 of the transmission path data frame received by the instruction from the unit 20 and notified to the monitoring path control unit 20.

  In the transmission device A, the monitoring path control unit 20 adds the transmission source address of the own device to the monitoring path control information acquired from the monitoring path information database 22 and notifies the monitoring path transmission management unit 28 of it. The monitoring path transmission management unit 28 sends the monitoring path control information to the data insertion unit 32 and inserts it into the transmission path data frame. The inserted monitoring path control information is transmitted to the transmission apparatus B through the multiplexing unit 26 and the transmission path IF 24 via the transmission path.

  In the transmission apparatus B, the monitoring path control information is extracted by the data extraction unit 34 from the received transmission path data frame. This monitoring path control information is relayed by the monitoring path reception management unit 30 and notified to the monitoring path control unit 20. The monitoring path control unit 20 adds the transmission source address of the own device to the received monitoring path control information and sends it back.

  During normal operation, monitoring path information is sent and received periodically. When monitoring path switching is to be executed by control on the transmission apparatus A side, the monitoring path control section 20 of the transmission apparatus A applies loopback control to the multiplexing section 26 as a trigger for monitoring path switching, and uses the monitoring path of the transmission apparatus A itself. Switch.

  With this loopback control, the monitoring path control information transmitted from the transmission apparatus B is looped back by the multiplexing unit 26 of the transmission apparatus A and returned to the transmission apparatus B. The monitoring path control unit 20 of the transmission apparatus B refers to the transmission source address of the received monitoring path control information, and recognizes that the transmission source address is its own apparatus (transmission apparatus B). The monitoring path switching between A and B is completed.

  FIG. 5 shows a configuration diagram of the first embodiment of the network system. As in FIG. 4, this figure shows a configuration in which two transmission apparatuses A and B are opposed to each other via a transmission path. In the figure, the transmission apparatus A has a control unit 40 (corresponding to the monitoring path control unit 20) and a transmission path IF41 (corresponding to the transmission path IF24), and the transmission apparatus B has a control unit 40 and a transmission path IF41. The transmission lines IF 41 of the transmission apparatuses A and B are connected by the transmission line 50. In the transmission apparatus A, a monitoring control terminal 52 for performing monitoring path switching setting is connected to the control unit 40.

  FIG. 6 shows the configuration of a transmission path data frame transmitted through the transmission path 50. The transmission line data frame is composed of SOH and payload. The bandwidth of the monitoring path control frame is allocated to the payload. The format of the monitoring path control frame includes a control type, a transmission source device address, a transmission destination device address, and a switching destination band address. The control type stores the definition, instruction, and response control contents.

  A first embodiment of the method of the present invention will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG. 7 using the network configuration of FIG. In FIG. 7, step numbers are indicated by numbers with circles. In this embodiment, the monitoring path bandwidth address is changed from 1 to 5, and the monitoring path is switched.

  In step S1, the contents of the monitoring path control frame are set by the monitoring control terminal 52 or the operation panel on the front surface of the transmission apparatus A. Here, the control type is set to “definition”, and the monitoring path bandwidth address is set to “5”.

  In the next steps S2 and S3, a monitoring path control frame of switching definition information is periodically transmitted and received during operation.

  In step S2, the transmission apparatus A transmits a monitoring path control frame having a control type “definition”, a transmission source apparatus address A, a transmission destination apparatus address B, and a switching destination band address “5”.

  In step S3, the transmission apparatus B transmits a monitoring path control frame of control type “definition”, transmission source apparatus address B, transmission destination apparatus address A, and switching destination band address “5”, as in step S2.

  In step S4, the transmission path A is instructed to switch the monitoring path from the monitoring control terminal 52 or the operation panel on the front side of the apparatus. As a result, in step S5, the transmission apparatus A is set to perform loopback control when it receives the monitoring path control frame.

  In step S6, the transmission apparatus B transmits a monitoring path control frame of switching definition information in the same manner as in step S3. In step S7, the transmission apparatus A loops back the received monitoring path control frame of the switching definition information by the loopback control in step S5, and returns it to the transmission apparatus B in step S8. This is a monitoring path switching instruction for the transmission apparatus B.

  In step S9, the transmission apparatus A switches the monitoring path bandwidth address from 1 to 5 to switch the monitoring path, and stops the loopback control.

  In step S10, the transmission apparatus B recognizes that the monitoring path switching instruction has been received because the transmission source apparatus address of the monitoring path control frame is B of the own apparatus. In step S11, the transmission apparatus B switches the monitoring path bandwidth address from 1 to 5, and performs monitoring path switching. Next, in step S12, the transmission apparatus B stores “response” in the control type and notifies the completion of the monitoring path switching. The monitoring path switching is completed through the above sequence.

  Next, a second embodiment of the method of the present invention will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG. 8 using the network configuration of FIG. In FIG. 8, the step number is indicated by a circled number. In this embodiment, the monitoring path bandwidth address is changed from 1 to 5, and the monitoring path is switched.

  In step S1, the contents of the monitoring path control frame are set by the monitoring control terminal 52 or the operation panel on the front surface of the transmission apparatus A. Here, the control type is set to “definition”, and the monitoring path bandwidth address is set to “5”.

  In the next steps S2 and S3, a monitoring path control frame of switching definition information is periodically transmitted and received during operation.

  In step S2, the transmission apparatus A transmits a monitoring path control frame having a control type “definition”, a transmission source apparatus address A, a transmission destination apparatus address B, and a switching destination band address “5”.

  In step S3, the transmission apparatus B transmits a monitoring path control frame of control type “definition”, transmission source apparatus address B, transmission destination apparatus address A, and switching destination band address “5”, as in step S2.

  In step S4, the transmission path A is instructed to switch the monitoring path from the monitoring control terminal 52 or the operation panel on the front side of the apparatus. Thereby, in step S5, the transmission apparatus A stores “instruction” in the control type and instructs the transmission apparatus B to switch the monitoring path.

  In step S6, the transmission apparatus B stores “response” in the control type and notifies the reception of the monitoring path switching instruction.

  In step S7, the transmission apparatus B switches the monitoring path bandwidth address from 1 to 5, and performs monitoring path switching.

  When the transmission device A receives the monitoring path control frame whose control type is “response” from the transmission device B, the transmission device A switches the monitoring path bandwidth address from 1 to 5 in step S8 and performs monitoring path switching. The monitoring path switching is completed through the above sequence.

  FIG. 9 shows a configuration diagram of the second embodiment of the network system. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. In FIG. 9, the transmission apparatus A has a control unit 40 (corresponding to the monitoring path control unit 20) and a transmission path IF 41 (corresponding to the transmission path IF 24), and the transmission apparatus B has a control unit 40 and transmission path IFs 41, 42, 43. , 44, and the transmission lines IF 41 of the transmission apparatuses A and B are connected by a transmission line 50. In the transmission apparatus A, a monitoring control terminal 52 for performing monitoring path switching setting is connected to the control unit 40.

  The transmission path IF 42 of the transmission apparatus B is connected by the transmission path IF 41 and the transmission path 53 of the transmission apparatus C, and the transmission path IF 43 of the transmission apparatus B is connected by the transmission path IF 41 and the transmission path 54 of the transmission apparatus D. The transmission line IF 44 of B is connected to the transmission line IF 41 of the transmission apparatus E by the transmission line 55.

  In such a network configuration, the monitoring control terminal instructs the transmission device A to switch the monitoring path, the transmission device A instructs the transmission device B to switch, and the transmission device B switches to the transmission devices C, D, and E. All devices are switched sequentially in a chain.

  A third embodiment of the method of the present invention will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG. 10 using the network configuration of FIG. In FIG. 10, step numbers are indicated by circled numbers.

  In step S11, the processing in steps S1 to S12 in FIG. 7 is performed, and the monitoring path switching between the transmission apparatuses A and B is completed.

  In step S12, the control unit 40 of the transmission apparatus B searches the transmission paths 53, 54, and 55 that have not been switched, triggered by the completion of the monitoring path switching, and between the transmission apparatuses B and C, between B and D, Recognizing that switching between B and E has not been switched, the monitoring path switching is started.

  In step S13, the transmission apparatus B executes monitoring path switching with the transmission apparatuses C, D, and E. That is, the transmission apparatus B is set to apply the loopback control when receiving the monitoring path control frame. The transmission apparatuses C, D, and E transmit the monitoring path control frame of the switching definition information, and the transmission apparatus B loops back the received monitoring path control frame of the switching definition information and returns it to the transmission apparatuses C, D, and E. This is a monitoring path switching instruction for the transmission apparatuses C, D, and E. Further, the transmission apparatus B switches the monitoring path bandwidth address to switch the monitoring path, and stops the loopback control.

  After that, the transmission apparatuses C, D, and E recognize that the monitoring path switching instruction is received because the transmission source apparatus address of the monitoring path control frame is their own apparatus, and switch the monitoring path bandwidth address to switch the monitoring path. Do. Next, the transmission apparatuses C, D, and E store “response” in the control type and notify the completion of the monitoring path switching. This corresponds to steps S5 to S12 in FIG. As described above, the monitoring path is switched in a chain manner between a plurality of transmission apparatuses, and the monitoring path switching is completed for all apparatuses in the network.

  A fourth embodiment of the method of the present invention will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG. 11 using the network configuration of FIG. In FIG. 11, step numbers are indicated by circled numbers.

  In step S11, the processing in steps S1 to S12 in FIG. 8 is performed, and the monitoring path switching between the transmission apparatuses A and B is completed.

  In step S12, the control unit 40 of the transmission apparatus B searches for the transmission paths 53, 54, and 55 that have not been switched, with the completion of the monitoring path switching as a trigger, and between the transmission apparatuses B and C, between B and D, Recognizing that switching between B and E has not been switched, the monitoring path switching is started.

  In step S13, the transmission apparatus B executes monitoring path switching with the transmission apparatuses C, D, and E. That is, the transmission apparatus B stores “instruction” in the control type, instructs the transmission apparatuses C, D, and E to switch the monitoring path, and the transmission apparatuses C, D, and E store “response” in the control type. The reception of the monitoring path switching instruction is notified.

  Thereafter, the transmission apparatuses C, D, and E perform monitoring path switching by switching the monitoring path bandwidth address. Further, when the transmission apparatus B receives a monitoring path control frame with a control type of “response” from the transmission apparatuses C, D, and E, the transmission apparatus B switches the monitoring path bandwidth address and switches the monitoring path. As described above, monitoring path switching is performed in a chain manner between a plurality of transmission apparatuses, and monitoring path switching is completed for all apparatuses in the network.

  In this way, instead of instructing all transmission devices to switch the bandwidth allocated to the monitoring path due to a change in network configuration, line change, etc., only one transmission device is automatically instructed to another transmission device. Are sequentially switched, and switching can be performed quickly and reliably as compared with the method of instructing all transmission devices by broadcast or the method performed for each device.

  The monitoring path transmission management unit 32 corresponds to the monitoring path transmission management unit described in the claims, the monitoring path reception management unit 30 corresponds to the monitoring path reception management unit, and the monitoring path control unit 20 corresponds to the monitoring path control unit. To do.

It is a block diagram of an example of a network. It is a figure for demonstrating the conventional monitoring path switching method. It is a figure for demonstrating the conventional monitoring path switching method. It is a functional block diagram of one Example of the transmission apparatus of this invention. 1 is a configuration diagram of a first embodiment of a network system. It is a figure which shows the structure of a transmission-line data frame. It is a sequence diagram of 1st Example of the method of this invention. It is a sequence diagram of 2nd Example of this invention method. It is a block diagram of 2nd Example of a network system. It is a sequence diagram of 3rd Example of the method of this invention. It is a sequence diagram of 4th Example of this invention method.

Claims (4)

A network configured by connecting a plurality of transmission devices via a transmission line is used to monitor the plurality of transmission devices using a monitoring path which is a band in the transmission line data frame at a monitoring control terminal connected to any of the transmission devices. A monitoring path switching method for switching the monitoring path by transmitting and receiving monitoring path control information for controlling the monitoring path in a system for monitoring control,
Between two transmission devices facing each other via a transmission line, one transmission device performs loopback control of monitoring path control information received from the other transmission device,
A monitoring path switching method for switching the monitoring path when receiving the monitoring path control information transmitted by the other transmission apparatus. The monitoring path switching method according to claim 1,
The transmission device for which the monitoring path switching is completed performs loopback control of the monitoring path control information received from the transmission device for which the monitoring path switching is not completed through the transmission path,
A monitoring path switching method for switching the monitoring path in response to reception of monitoring path control information transmitted by the transmission apparatus for which the monitoring path switching has not been completed. A network configured by connecting a plurality of transmission devices via a transmission line is used to monitor the plurality of transmission devices using a monitoring path that is a band in the transmission line data frame at a monitoring control terminal connected to any of the transmission devices. A transmission apparatus that transmits and receives monitoring path control information for controlling the monitoring path and switches the monitoring path in a system for monitoring and control,
  Monitoring path transmission management means for inserting monitoring path control information into the monitoring path and transmitting the monitoring path control information;
  Monitoring path reception management means for extracting monitoring path control information from the received monitoring path;
  When the monitoring path control information received from the other transmission apparatus facing through the transmission path is looped back and the monitoring path control information received from the other transmission apparatus is transmitted from the own apparatus, the monitoring path A transmission apparatus having a monitoring path control means for switching between. The transmission apparatus according to claim 3, wherein
  The monitoring path control means completes the switching of the monitoring path by the loopback control of the monitoring path control information of the transmission apparatus facing through the transmission line, and then has not yet switched the monitoring path facing through the other transmission path. A transmission apparatus that performs loopback control of monitoring path control information received from the network.

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