Elegant Temporal Label Switched Path Tunnel Service Controller

Abstract

A method implemented by a network controller in a network, comprising receiving, by a temporal label switched path (T-LSP) manager of the network controller, a request for creating a temporal LSP in a scheduled time interval; computing, by a temporal path computation element (T-PCE) of the network controller, a shortest path in a network satisfying a constraint for the label switched path (LSP) in the scheduled time interval; reserving, in a temporal traffic engineering database (T-TED) of the network controller, resources on each link the LSP traverses for the scheduled time interval; and initiating, at a beginning of the scheduled time interval by the T-LSP manager, setup of the LSP in the network through sending a LSP creation request to a path computation client (PCC) on an ingress node of the LSP.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method implemented by a network controller in a network, comprising:
 receiving, by a temporal label switched path (T-LSP) manager of the network controller, a request for creating a temporal label switched path (LSP) in a scheduled time interval;   computing, by a temporal path computation element (T-PCE) of the network controller, a shortest path in a network satisfying a constraint for the temporal LSP in the scheduled time interval;   reserving, in a temporal traffic engineering database (T-TED) of the network controller, resources on each link the LSP traverses for the scheduled time interval; and   initiating, at a beginning of the scheduled time interval by the T-LSP manager, setup of the LSP in the network through sending a LSP creation request to a path computation client (PCC) on an ingress node of the LSP.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending, by the T-PCE, a path computation element (PCE) communication protocol (PCEP) open message indicating that the T-PCE is capable of supporting temporal LSP path computation, temporal LSP initiation, and temporal LSP maintenance. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the temporal LSP crosses multiple domains in the network, wherein the method further comprises communicating, by the T-PCE, with a remote T-PCE to get an end-to-end path for the LSP crossing the multiple domains via a path computation element (PCE) communication protocol (PCEP) path computation request (PCReq) message, and wherein the PCReq message comprises a request parameter (RP) object comprising an operation on time interval (OT) field indicating whether the PCReq message is a first request for path computation in the scheduled time interval, a second request for bandwidth reservation for the scheduled time interval, or a third request for bandwidth release for the scheduled time interval, and a N-bit field indicating whether the temporal LSP is a point-to-point (P2P) LSP or a point-to-multipoint (P2MP) LSP. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the scheduled time interval is a time period from a first time Ta, to a second time Tb, wherein the PCReq message further comprises a time-interval object comprising:
 a start-Time field indicating the first time Ta that the LSP starts to carry traffic; and   an end-Time field indicating the second time Tb that the LSP ends carrying the traffic, and   wherein the first time Ta and the second time Tb are clock times that are synchronized among all network elements (NEs) in the network.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the scheduled time interval is a time period from a first time Ta, to a second time Tb, and wherein the PCReq message further comprises a time-interval object comprising:
 a start-time-length field indicating a start-time length in seconds from a current local clock time to the first time Ta that the LSP starts to carry traffic, wherein the start-time length is Ta minus the current local clock time; and   an end-time-length field indicating an end-time length in seconds from the current local clock time to the second time Tb that the LSP ends carrying the traffic, wherein the end-time length is Tb minus the current local clock time.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the scheduled time interval is a recurrent time interval that the LSP carries traffic, and wherein the PCReq message further comprises a time interval object comprising:
 a number-repeats field indicating a number of repeats;   a repeat-time-length field indicating a repeat-time length in seconds of a repeat cycle for the recurrent time interval; and   an options field indicating whether the recurrent time interval repeats every day, every week, every month, every year, or repeats every repeat-time length.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the request includes at least one of constraints of the temporal LSP, timing information about the scheduled time interval, or traffic information about traffic to be forwarded along the temporal LSP. 
     
     
         8 . A network controller implemented in a network, comprising:
 a receiver configured to receive a request for creating a temporal label switched path (LSP) in a scheduled time interval;   a processor coupled to the receiver and configured to:
 compute a shortest path in a network satisfying a constraint for the temporal LSP in the scheduled time interval; 
 reserve, in a temporal traffic engineering database (T-TED) of the network controller, resources on each link the LSP traverses for the scheduled time interval; and 
 initiate, at a beginning of the scheduled time interval, setup of the LSP in the network through sending a LSP creation request to a path computation client (PCC) on an ingress node of the LSP. 
   
     
     
         9 . The network controller of  claim 8 , further comprising a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to send a path computation element (PCE) communication protocol (PCEP) open message indicating that the network controller is capable of supporting temporal LSP path computation, temporal LSP initiation, and temporal LSP maintenance. 
     
     
         10 . The network controller of  claim 8 , wherein the temporal LSP crosses multiple domains in the network, wherein the network controller further comprises a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to communicate with a remote temporal path computation element (T-PCE) to get an end-to-end path for the LSP crossing the multiple domains via a path computation element (PCE) communication protocol (PCEP) path computation request (PCReq) message, and wherein the PCReq message comprises a request parameter (RP) object comprising an operation on time interval (OT) field indicating whether the PCReq message is a first request for path computation in the scheduled time interval, a second request for bandwidth reservation for the scheduled time interval, or a third request for bandwidth release for the scheduled time interval, and a N-bit field indicating whether the temporal LSP is a point-to-point (P2P) LSP or a point-to-multipoint (P2MP) LSP. 
     
     
         11 . The network controller of  claim 10 , wherein the scheduled time interval is a time period from a first time Ta, to a second time Tb, wherein the PCReq message further comprises a time-interval object comprising:
 a start-Time field indicating the first time Ta that the LSP starts to carry traffic; and   an end-Time field indicating the second time Tb that the LSP ends carrying the traffic;   wherein the first time Ta and the second time Tb are clock times that are synchronized among all network elements (NEs) in the network.   
     
     
         12 . The network controller of  claim 10 , wherein the scheduled time interval is a time period from a first time Ta, to a second time Tb, and wherein the PCReq message further comprises a time-interval object comprising:
 a start-time-length field indicating a start-time length in seconds from a current local clock time to the first time Ta that the LSP starts to carry traffic, wherein the start-time length is Ta minus the current local clock time; and   an end-time-length field indicating an end-time length in seconds from the current local clock time to the second time Tb that the LSP ends carrying the traffic, wherein the end-time length is Tb minus the current local clock time.   
     
     
         13 . The network controller of  claim 10 , wherein the scheduled time interval is a recurrent time interval that the LSP carries traffic, and wherein the PCReq message further comprises a time interval object comprising:
 a number-repeats field indicating a number of repeats;   a repeat-time-length field indicating a repeat-time length in seconds of a repeat cycle for the recurrent time interval; and   an options field indicating whether the recurrent time interval repeats every day, every week, every month, every year, or repeats every repeat-time length.   
     
     
         14 . The network controller of  claim 8 , wherein the request includes at least one of constraints of the temporal LSP, timing information about the scheduled time interval, or traffic information about traffic to be forwarded along the temporal LSP. 
     
     
         15 . A network controller, comprising:
 a memory configured to store instructions; and   a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to be configured to:
 receive a request for creating a temporal label switched path (LSP) in a scheduled time interval; 
 compute a shortest path in a network satisfying a constraint for the temporal LSP in the scheduled time interval; 
 reserve, in a temporal traffic engineering database (T-TED) of the network controller, resources on each link the LSP traverses for the scheduled time interval; and 
 initiate, at a beginning of the scheduled time interval, setup of the LSP in the network through sending a LSP creation request to a path computation client (PCC) on an ingress node of the LSP. 
   
     
     
         16 . The network controller of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to be configured to send a path computation element (PCE) communication protocol (PCEP) open message indicating that the network controller is capable of supporting temporal LSP path computation, temporal LSP initiation, and temporal LSP maintenance. 
     
     
         17 . The network controller of  claim 15 , wherein the temporal LSP crosses multiple domains in the network, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to be configured to communicate with a remote temporal path computation element (T-PCE) to get an end-to-end path for the LSP crossing the multiple domains via a path computation element (PCE) communication protocol (PCEP) path computation request (PCReq) message, and wherein the PCReq message comprises a request parameter (RP) object comprising an operation on time interval (OT) field indicating whether the PCReq message is a first request for path computation in the scheduled time interval, a second request for bandwidth reservation for the scheduled time interval, or a third request for bandwidth release for the scheduled time interval, and a N-bit field indicating whether the temporal LSP is a point-to-point (P2P) LSP or a point-to-multipoint (P2MP) LSP. 
     
     
         18 . The network controller of  claim 16 , wherein the scheduled time interval is a time period from a first time Ta, to a second time Tb, wherein the PCReq message further comprises a time-interval object comprising:
 a start-Time field indicating the first time Ta that the LSP starts to carry traffic; and   an end-Time field indicating the second time Tb that the LSP ends carrying the traffic;   wherein the first time Ta and the second time Tb are clock times that are synchronized among all network elements (NEs) in the network.   
     
     
         19 . The network controller of  claim 16 , wherein the scheduled time interval is a time period from a first time Ta, to a second time Tb, and wherein the PCReq message further comprises a time-interval object comprising:
 a start-time-length field indicating a start-time length in seconds from a current local clock time to the first time Ta that the LSP starts to carry traffic, wherein the start-time length is Ta minus the current local clock time; and   an end-time-length field indicating an end-time length in seconds from the current local clock time to the second time Tb that the LSP ends carrying the traffic, wherein the end-time length is Tb minus the current local clock time.   
     
     
         20 . The network controller of  claim 16 , wherein the scheduled time interval is a recurrent time interval that the LSP carries traffic, and wherein the PCReq message further comprises a time interval object comprising:
 a number-repeats field indicating a number of repeats;   a repeat-time-length field indicating a repeat-time length in seconds of a repeat cycle for the recurrent time interval; and   an options field indicating whether the recurrent time interval repeats every day, every week, every month, every year, or repeats every repeat-time length.   
     
     
         21 . The network controller of  claim 16 , wherein the request includes at least one of constraints of the temporal LSP, timing information about the scheduled time interval, or traffic information about traffic to be forwarded along the temporal LSP.