System and method for network layer protocol routing in a peer model integrated optical network

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to a system and method of implementing peer model architecture in integrated optical networks. In one embodiment, heterogeneous domains of nodes share a common control plane via routing and signaling adjacencies established through a network layer control channel. For example, in one embodiment, one or more Internet Protocol (IP) compliant routers, one or more Time Domain Multiplexing (TDM) switches, and one or more Wave Division Multiplexing (WDM) optical cross connects (OXC) run a common instance of an Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP).

1 . A method for operating an Internet Protocol (IP) router in a peer model network comprising:
 receiving, at the IP router, a Link State Advertisement (LSA) message describing a link between two nodes in the network; and   determining from the received LSA message a link type for the link, the link type based on one or more types of switches connected by the link.   
     
     
         2 . A method for routing an incoming IP packet at an IP router in a peer model network comprising:
 receiving a packet at the IP router;   determining a domain type for a domain in which a destination address of the received packet resides; and   determining a packet type of the received packet.   
     
     
         3 . An Internet Protocol (IP) router comprising:
 a first Link State Database (LSDB) to provide information about one or more type P links; and   a second LSDB to provide information about one or more type IPCC links.