Optical Device Discovery
draft-geisler-optical-device-discovery-00

Abstract

This document introduces a method for Optical device discovery, by introducing a new multicast group for frames to be captured by optical nodes.

Status of This Memo

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This Internet-Draft will expire on February 9, 2017.

Copyright Notice

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Table of Contents

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Optical Device Discovery - Direct Injection
• 3. Optical Device Discovery - Out of Band
• 4. TLVs Introduced
• 5. Future Considerations
• 6. IANA Considerations
• 7. Security Considerations
• 7.1. Privacy Considerations
• 8. Acknowledgements
• 9. References
• 9.1. Normative References
• 9.2. Informative References
• Appendix A. Change Log
• Authors' Addresses

1. Introduction

The specification [IEEE802.1AB] describes for link layer discovery of devices. Whilst this addresses discovery of other link layer and network layer devices in the same subnet, optical devices do not have the capability to capture these messages on the client ports to which routers connect. Whilst SDN seeks to allow easy of inventory collection and connectivity discovery, a method of discovery can make this information available to higher software layers.

The interaction between optical and link and network layer devices has seen many solutions with IPoDWDM and Generalized MPLS (GMPLS). These solutions have attempted a single control plane for all devices through the use of MPLS or routing protocols. However these solutions have proven troublesome for operators in multi vendor environments, and assume the presence of IP and MPLS in the network connecting to the optical nodes.

RFC4957 [RFC4957] identifies the challenge when network attachments change. Optical network operators have similar challenges. There is no view innate to Optical Network Management Systems that allows detection of devices.

Some vendors have opted for LLDP snooping to be a solution to this problem. However organizations that wish to have a 'plug and play' approach to optical networking without dedicated operational teams for optical systems may wish this information to be available from link and network layer systems.

A standalone protocol also gives room for extensions for the optical domain to use the discovery protocol to alert link and network layer systems of conditions inthe optical domain, that may affect traffic on the link and network layer, making fault correlation operationally easier between the two domains.

This proposal seeks discovery between two domains to make information to higher SDN abstraction layers easier. It does not propose a unified control plane, but discovery between devices operating at the link layer that are connected to optical transport through the use of .

In figure 1, the routers with configured would see device information of the other according to specifications, but Add/Drop ROADM A has no way to tell what is connected to the client side ports. The Network Network Management system has no visibility of which optical device it is connected to, or which wavelength it sits on the optical network. This gives operators a very limited view of the network and does not give any view to higher layer software abstractions. In networks where the optical network and IP network are owned by the same provider, discovery of the entire network is useful for operators who must troubleshoot the network end to end, as well as keep track of current connectivity and inventory.

+------------+           +---------+           +---------+           +------------+
|            |           |         |           |         |           |            |
|  Router A  |           |         |           |         |           | Router B   |
|            | +-------->|  DWDM   +-----------+  DWDM   | +-------->|            |
|            |           |ADD/DROP |           |ADD/DROP |           |            |
+------------+           |         |           |         |           +------------+
                         |         |           |         |
                         +---------+           +---------+

+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
|            |            |            |            |            |
|  Chassis   |  Hostname  |  Port ID   |  Port Type |  Optional  |
|   Type     |            |            |            |     TLV    |
|            |            |            |            |            |
+------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+

+------------+------------+
|            |            |
|    ...     |  Optional  |
|            |    TLV     |
|            |            |
+------------+------------+