Layer 1 frame construction

Abstract

A method includes appending, by a network device, a first layer 1 frame header to a first payload to form a first layer 1 frame and a second layer 1 frame header to a second payload to form a second layer 1 frame and outputting the first layer 1 frame and the second layer 1 frame in a same format to a network. The first payload may include first layer 2 data. The first layer 1 frame header may include a first protocol identifier that indicates that the first layer 2 data is associated with a first protocol. The second payload may include second layer 2 data. The second layer 1 frame header may include a second protocol identifier that indicates that the second layer 2 data is associated with a second, different protocol.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 appending, by a network device, a first layer  1  frame header to a first payload to form a first layer  1  frame,
 the first payload including first layer  2  data of multi-protocol layer  2  data received from a plurality of network devices, and 
 the first layer  1  frame header including a first protocol identifier indicating that the first layer  2  data is associated with a first protocol; 
   appending, by the network device, a second layer  1  frame header to a second payload to form a second layer  1  frame,
 the second payload including second layer  2  data of the multi-protocol layer  2  data, 
 the second layer  1  frame header including a second protocol identifier indicating that the second layer  2  data is associated with a second protocol that is different than the first protocol, and 
 a length of the first layer  1  frame being different from a length of the second layer  1  frame; and 
   outputting, from the network device, the first layer  1  frame and the second layer  1  frame in a same format to a network.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , where the first protocol and the second protocol each comprise one of:
 synchronous transfer mode (STM),   asynchronous transfer mode (ATM),   Internet protocol (IP), or   multiprotocol label switching (MPLS).   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , where outputting the first layer  1  frame and the second layer  1  frame includes:
 outputting the first layer  1  frame and the second layer  1  frame to a single frame-type network. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 constructing the first layer  1  frame header to include a first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) identifier indicating a first CRC result performed on portions of the first layer  1  frame header; and   constructing the second layer  1  frame header to include a second CRC identifier indicating a second CRC result performed on portions of the second layer  1  frame header,
 the first CRC result and the second CRC result enabling a node in the network to conduct bit synchronization, byte synchronization, or frame synchronization for the first layer  1  frame and the second layer  1  frame, respectively. 
   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 constructing the first layer  1  frame header to include a first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) identifier indicating a first CRC result performed on portions of the first layer  1  frame header; and   constructing the second layer  1  frame header to include a second CRC identifier indicating a second CRC result performed on portions of the second layer  1  frame header,
 the first layer  1  frame header further including a payload CRC identifier indicating a result of a CRC operation for the first payload, and 
 the payload CRC identifier enabling a node in the network to conduct payload data quality monitoring. 
   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , where the first protocol comprises Synchronous Transfer Mode (STM) and the second protocol comprises multiprotocol label switching, the method further comprising:
 packing a layer  2  header and a plurality of STM signals, addressed to a same destination, into the first payload.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , where the first protocol comprises Internet Protocol (IP) and the second protocol comprises multiprotocol label switching, the method further comprising:
 packing a layer  2  header and an IP packet into the first payload,
 the layer  2  header including a route label as information for routing the first layer  1  frame through the network and a flow label as information for selecting a particular optical channel, of a plurality of optical channels, for transferring the first layer  1  frame through the network. 
   
     
     
         8 . A device comprising:
 one or more processors to:
 append a first layer  1  frame header to a first payload to form a first layer  1  frame,
 the first payload including first layer  2  data of multi-protocol layer  2  data received from a plurality of network devices, and 
 the first layer  1  frame header including a first protocol identifier indicating that the first layer  2  data is associated with a first protocol; 
 
 append a second layer  1  frame header to a second payload to form a second layer  1  frame,
 the second payload including second layer  2  data of the multi-protocol layer  2  data, 
 the second layer  1  frame header including a second protocol identifier indicating that the second layer  2  data is associated with a second protocol that is different from the first protocol, and 
 a length of the first layer  1  frame being different from a length of the second layer  1  frame; and 
 
 output the first layer  1  frame and the second layer  1  frame in a same format to a network. 
   
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , where the first protocol and the second protocol each comprise one of:
 synchronous transfer mode (STM),   asynchronous transfer mode (ATM),   Internet protocol (IP), or   multiprotocol label switching (MPLS).   
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 8 , where, when outputting the first layer  1  frame and the second layer  1  frame, the one or more processors are to:
 output the first layer  1  frame and the second layer  1  frame to a single frame-type network. 
 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 8 , where the one or more processors are further to:
 construct the first layer  1  frame header to include a first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) identifier indicating a first CRC result performed on portions of the first layer  1  frame header; and   construct the second layer  1  frame header to include a second CRC identifier indicating a second CRC result performed on portions of the second layer  1  frame header,
 the first CRC result and the second CRC result enabling a node in the network to conduct bit synchronization, byte synchronization, or frame synchronization for the first layer  1  frame and the second layer  1  frame, respectively. 
   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 8 , where the one or more processors are further to:
 construct the first layer  1  frame header to include a first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) identifier indicating a first CRC result performed on portions of the first layer  1  frame header; and   construct the second layer  1  frame header to include a second CRC identifier indicating a second CRC result performed on portions of the second layer  1  frame header,
 the first layer  1  frame header further including a payload CRC identifier indicating a result of a CRC operation for the first payload, and 
 the payload CRC identifier enabling a node in the network to conduct payload data quality monitoring. 
   
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 8 , where the first protocol comprises best effort Internet Protocol (IP), and
 where the one or more processors are further to:
 pack a segment of a partitioned, best effort IP packet, into the first payload, and 
 construct the first layer  1  frame header to include a frame mode identifier classifying the segment as a front end segment, a rear end segment, or neither a front end segment nor a rear end segment. 
   
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , where the one or more processors construct the first layer  1  frame header to include the frame mode identifier classifying the segment as a front end segment, and
 where the one or more processors are further to:
 pack a layer  2  header into the first payload,
 the layer  2  header including a route label as information for routing the first layer  1  frame through the network and a flow label as information for selecting a particular optical channel, of a plurality of optical channels, for transferring the first layer  1  frame through the network. 
 
 
 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:
 one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 append a first layer  1  frame header to a first payload to form a first layer  1  frame,
 the first payload including first layer  2  data of multi-protocol layer  2  data received from a plurality of network devices, and 
 the first layer  1  frame header including a first protocol identifier indicating that the first layer  2  data is associated with a first protocol; 
 
 append a second layer  1  frame header to a second payload to form a second layer  1  frame,
 the second payload including second layer  2  data of the multi-protocol layer  2  data, 
 the second layer  1  frame header including a second protocol identifier indicating that the second layer  2  data is associated with a second protocol that is different from the first protocol, and 
 a length of the first layer  1  frame being different from a length of the second layer  1  frame; and 
 
 output the first layer  1  frame and the second layer  1  frame in a same format to a network. 
   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , where the one or more instructions to output the first layer  1  frame and the second layer  1  frame include:
 one or more instructions to output the first layer  1  frame and the second layer  1  frame to a single frame-type network. 
 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , where the instructions further comprise:
 one or more instructions to construct the first layer  1  frame header to include a first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) identifier indicating a first CRC result performed on portions of the first layer  1  frame header; and   one or more instructions to construct the second layer  1  frame header to include a second CRC identifier indicating a second CRC result performed on portions of the second layer  1  frame header,
 the first CRC result and the second CRC result enabling a node in the network to conduct bit synchronization, byte synchronization, or frame synchronization for the first layer  1  frame and the second layer  1  frame, respectively. 
   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , where the instructions further comprise:
 one or more instructions to construct the first layer  1  frame header to include a first cyclic redundancy check (CRC) identifier indicating a first CRC result performed on portions of the first layer  1  frame header; and   one or more instructions to construct the second layer  1  frame header to include a second CRC identifier indicating a second CRC result performed on portions of the second layer  1  frame header,
 the first layer  1  frame header further including a payload CRC identifier indicating a result of a CRC operation for the first payload, and 
 the payload CRC identifier enabling a node in the network to conduct payload data quality monitoring. 
   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , where the first protocol comprises best effort Internet Protocol (IP), and
 where the one or more instructions further comprise:
 one or more instructions to pack a segment of a partitioned, best effort IP packet, into the first payload, and 
 one or more instructions to construct the first layer  1  frame header to include a frame mode identifier classifying the segment as a front end segment, a rear end segment, or neither a front end segment nor a rear end segment. 
   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 19 , where the one or more instructions to construct the first layer  1  frame header to include the frame mode identifier include:
 one or more instructions to construct the first layer  1  frame header to include the frame mode identifier classifying the segment as a front end segment, and 
 where the instructions further comprise:
 one or more instructions to pack a layer  2  header into the first payload,
 the layer  2  header including a route label as information for routing the first layer  1  frame through the network and a flow label as information for selecting a particular optical channel, of a plurality of optical channels, for transferring the first layer  1  frame through the network.