Patent ID: 6760549
Filing Date: 2004-07-06
Classification: H04J,H04Q

Abstract:
A system for multicasting a data payload through an optical network composed of a plurality of nodes interconnected by links wherein a given one of the nodes multicasts over two outgoing links, the data payload having a given format and protocol, the system comprising:a label-switch controller on said optical network; a mute generator coupled to said label-switch controller and configured for generating and storing a local routing look-up table in each of the nodes, each local look-up table listing local addresses for determining alternative local mutes through each of the nodes; an adder coupled to said label-switch controller and configured for adding two headers to the data payload with each of the headers being embedded in the same wavelength as the data payload prior to inputting the data payload at an input one of the nodes to produce en optical signal, each of the headers having a format and protocol and conveying multicast information indicative a local route through the given node for the data payload and the headers, the format and protocol of the data payload being independent of the format and protocol of the headers; a switching device on said optical network which is configured for being controlled by the label-switching controller; a detector coupled to said switching device and configured for detecting the multicast information at the given one of the nodes to determine two switch control signals with reference to the multicast information as the data payload and the headers propagate through the optical network; an optical splitter configured for splitting the optical signal received by said switching device into two split optical signals; a selector coupled to said switching device and configured for selecting two local routes through the given one of the nodes in correspondence to the two switch control signals; an optical switch coupled to said switching device having input ports and output ports wherein one of the split optical signals couples to a first input port and the second of the split optical signals couples to a second input port, and wherein one of the outgoing links couples to a first output port and the second of the outgoing links couples to a second output port; and a switch controller, coupled to the optical switch and responsive to the two switch control signals, configured for switching the optical switch in response to the multicast information to optically couple the first input port with the first output port and the second input port with the second output port.