Controller-to-controller interface for multi-layer network abstraction

Abstract

A controller at an IP (e.g., client) layer in a multi-layer network can request a network topology map from another controller at an optical (e.g., server) layer in the multi-layer network. The controller at the optical layer of the network can use a layer mapping function and common attributes between the formats used to describe the network topology map at the two layers to generate a common layer abstraction model representing the network topology map stored at the controller at the optical layer of the network. A controller-to-controller interface can translate and/or send the common layer abstraction model to the controller at the IP layer for processing data on the network.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a network entity at a first layer of a multilayer network, the entity at the first layer configured to receive a request for a network topology from a network entity at a second layer of a multilayer network;   a layer mapping function module operatively coupled to the network entity at the first layer and configured to generate a translation protocol, the translation protocol configured to determine common attributes between a first topology format and a second topology format, the network entity at the first layer of the multilayer network configured to use the translation protocol to convert a topology map in the first topology format into a topology map in a third topology format; and   a multilayer network translation interface module configured to use the topology map in the third topology format to generate a topology map in the second topology format; the network entity at the first layer configured to send the topology map in the second topology format to the network entity at the second layer such that the entity at the second layer determines a path between a first network node and a second network node based on the topology map in the second topology format.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the network entity in the first layer of the multilayer network is a first controller in a first layer domain. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the network entity in the first layer of the multilayer network is a first controller in a first layer domain; and   the first layer domain is an optical domain on a server layer.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the network entity in the first layer of the multilayer network is a first controller in a first layer domain; and   the network entity in the second layer of the multilayer network is a second controller in a second layer domain.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the network entity in the first layer of the multilayer network is a first controller in a first layer domain;   the network entity in the second layer of the multilayer network is a second controller in a second layer domain; and   the second layer domain is an IP domain on a client layer.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first topology format is an optical network topology format; and   the second topology format is an internet protocol (IP) topology format.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the third topology format is a common link abstraction model format. 
     
     
         8 . A system, comprising:
 a controller at a first layer of a multilayer network including a layer mapping function module, the layer mapping function module configured to translate a network topology map in a first format and at the first layer of the multilayer network into a second format in response to a request for a network topology from a controller at a second layer;   the controller at the first layer configured to provide the network topology map in the second format to a controller-to-controller interface module configured to convert the network topology map to a third format and provide the network topology map in the third format to the controller at the second layer.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first layer is a server layer of the multilayer network, and   the server layer is configured to use an optical domain protocol.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the second layer is a client layer of the multilayer network, and   the client layer is configured to use an internet protocol (IP) domain protocol.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first topology format is an optical network topology format;   the second topology format is a common link abstraction model format; and   the third topology format is an internet protocol (IP) topology format.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first format is an optical network topology format,   the third format is an internet protocol (IP) topology format, and   the layer mapping function module is configured to determine common attributes between the optical network topology format and the IP topology format.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first format is an optical network topology format,   the second topology format is a common link abstraction model format;   the third format is an internet protocol (IP) topology format, and   the common link abstraction model format is configured to describe the network topology map in the optical network topology format using common attributes between the optical network topology format and the IP topology format.   
     
     
         14 . A method, comprising:
 receiving a signal at a first controller at a first layer of a multilayer network from a second controller at a second layer in the multilayer network, the signal requesting a network topology map in a second layer topology format;   in response to the signal, retrieving a network topology map in a first layer topology format at the first controller;   translating the network topology map in the first layer topology format into a network topology map in an intermediary topology format using a layer mapping function module at the first controller;   translating the topology map in the intermediary topology format into a topology map in the second layer topology format using a controller-to-controller interface module; and   sending the topology map in the second layer topology format to the second controller.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the first layer is a client layer of the multilayer network, and   the client layer uses an internet protocol (IP) domain protocol.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the second layer is a server layer of the multilayer network, and   the server layer uses an optical domain protocol.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first layer topology format is an optical network topology format. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the second layer topology format is an internet protocol (IP) topology format. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the intermediary topology format is a common link abstraction model format. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the second layer topology format is an internet protocol (IP) topology format,   the first layer topology format is format an optical network topology, and   the layer mapping function module is configured to determine common attributes between the optical network topology format and the IP topology format.