Secure and attested all-photonics network

Abstract

A data communication network includes a plurality of network nodes coupled together via optical links and a network controller. Each network node includes a reflectometry analyzer that provides a characterization of physical properties of the optical links coupled to the associated network node. The characterization for each particular optical link provides a unique fingerprint of the physical properties of the particular optical link. The network controller determines a network path between a first network node and a second network node, wherein the network path traverses a first optical link, receives a first fingerprint for the first optical link from a first reflectometry analyzer, defines a signature for the path, the signature including the first fingerprint, receives a second fingerprint for the first optical link from the first reflectometry analyzer, the second fingerprint being different from the first fingerprint, and determines that the network path is not secure based upon the difference between the first fingerprint and the second fingerprint.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A data communication network, comprising:
 a plurality of network nodes coupled together via optical links;   at least one analyzer configured to provide a unique fingerprint of physical properties for each of the optical links; and   a network controller configured to:
 determine a network path between a pair of the network nodes, wherein the network path traverses a first optical link; 
 receive a first fingerprint for the first optical link from the analyzer; 
 define a signature for the path, the signature including the first fingerprint; 
 receive a second fingerprint for the first optical link from the analyzer, the second fingerprint being different from the first fingerprint; and 
 determine that the network path is not secure based upon the difference between the first fingerprint and the second fingerprint. 
   
     
     
         2 . The data communication network of  claim 1 , wherein the network path further traverses a second optical link. 
     
     
         3 . The data communication network of  claim 2 , wherein the network controller is further configured to receive a third fingerprint for the second optical link from the analyzer, wherein the signature further includes the third fingerprint. 
     
     
         4 . The data communication network of  claim 1 , wherein in determining that the network path is not secure, the network controller is further configured to determine that a difference between the first fingerprint and the second fingerprint indicates that a second optical link has been substituted for the first optical link in the path. 
     
     
         5 . The data communication network of  claim 1 , wherein the network controller is further configured to set a network routing table of the first network node based upon the path in response to determining the path. 
     
     
         6 . The data communication network of  claim 1 , wherein the network controller is further configured to determine that the network path is secure based upon the difference between the first fingerprint and the second fingerprint. 
     
     
         7 . The data communication network of  claim 6 , wherein in determining that the network path is secure, the network controller is further configured to determine that a difference between the first fingerprint and the second fingerprint indicates that a particular physical property of the first optical link has changed. 
     
     
         8 . The data communication network of  claim 1 , wherein the analyzer includes at least one of an optical time domain reflectometry instrument and an optical frequency domain reflectometry instrument. 
     
     
         9 . The data communication network of  claim 1 , wherein for each optical link, the physical properties include at least one of a temperature, a pressure, a strain, and a location of a discontinuity in the optical link. 
     
     
         10 . The data communication network of  claim 1 , wherein the optical links include at least one of a single mode fiber optic cable and a multi-mode fiber optic cable. 
     
     
         11 . A method, comprising:
 providing, in a data communication network, a plurality of network nodes coupled together via optical links;   providing an analyzer configured to characterize physical properties of the optical links coupled to the associated network node, wherein for each optical link the characterization provides a unique fingerprint of the physical properties of the particular optical link;   determining a network path between a first network node and a second network node, wherein the network path traverses a first optical link;   defining a signature for the path, the signature including a first fingerprint for the first optical link; and   determining that the network path is not secure based upon the difference between the first fingerprint and a second fingerprint for the first optical link, the second fingerprint being different from the first fingerprint.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the network path further traverses a second optical link. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising receiving a third fingerprint for the second optical link from the analyzer, wherein the signature further includes the third fingerprint. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein in determining that the network path is not secure, the method further comprises determining that a difference between the first fingerprint and the second fingerprint indicates that a second optical link has been substituted for the first optical link in the path. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising setting a network routing table of the first network node based upon the path in response to determining the path. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising determining that the network path is secure based upon the difference between the first fingerprint and the second fingerprint. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein in determining that the network path is secure, the method further comprises:
 determining that a difference between the first fingerprint and the second fingerprint indicates that a particular physical property of the first optical link has changed.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the analyzer includes at least one of an optical time domain reflectometry instrument and an optical frequency domain reflectometry instrument. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein for each optical link, the physical properties include at least one of a temperature, a pressure, a strain, and a location of a discontinuity in the optical link. 
     
     
         20 . A data communication network, comprising:
 a plurality of network nodes coupled together via optical links;   an analyzer configured to characterize physical properties of the optical links, wherein the characterization provides a unique fingerprint of the physical properties of the particular optical link; and   a network controller configured to:
 determine a network path between a pair of the network nodes, wherein the network path traverses a first optical link and a second optical link; 
 define a signature for the path, the signature including receive a first fingerprint for the first optical link and a second fingerprint for the second optical link; 
 determine that a difference between the first fingerprint and a third fingerprint for the first optical link indicates that a third optical link has been substituted for the first optical link in the path, the third fingerprint being different from the first fingerprint; 
 determine that the network path is not secure in response to determining that the third optical link has been substituted for the first optical link in the path; 
 determine that the difference between the first fingerprint and the third fingerprint indicates that a particular physical property of the first optical link has changed; and 
 determine that the network path is secure based upon the determination that the particular physical property of the first optical link has changed.