Transport systems and methods incorporating absolute time references and selective buildout delays

Abstract

In various exemplary embodiments, the present invention provides transport systems and methods incorporating absolute time references, such as global positioning system (GPS) time references and/or the like, and selective buildout delays, such as first-in, first-out (FIFO) buildout delays and/or the like. In one exemplary embodiment, the transport systems and methods of the present invention are used in conjunction with the International Business Machine Corporation (IBM) Geographically-Dispersed Parallel Sysplex (GDPS) integrated, automated application and data availability solution to meet and/or exceed the associated 10 microseconds transmit/receive path differential delay requirement. Other comparable uses are also contemplated herein, as will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to the various drawings, in which like reference numbers denote like method steps and/or system components, respectively, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conventional transport solution and the transmit/receive path differential delay problems associated therewith;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the transport solution of the present invention, the transport solution incorporating absolute time references and selective buildout delays;

FIG. 3 is another schematic diagram illustrating the transport solution of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is flowchart illustrating a method for measuring differential transmission path delays incorporating an absolute time reference, and providing a buildout delay to compensate for varying differential path delays due to, for example, optical transmission paths.

Claims

1. A network transport system, comprising: a first server complex;a second server complex;wherein the first server complex is in communication with the second server complex via a transmit path and a receive path;means for measuring a transmit/receive path differential delay associated with the transmit path and the receive path, wherein the means for measuring the transmit/receive path differential delay comprise a local clock, and wherein the local clock is in communication with an absolute time reference; andmeans for selectively compensating for the measured transmit/receive path differential delay.

2. The network transport system of claim 1, wherein the means for measuring the transmit/receive path differential delay comprise an algorithm operable for determining the difference between a delay associated with the transmit path and a delay associated with the receive path.

3. The network transport system of claim 1, wherein the absolute time reference comprises a global positioning system (GPS) time reference.

4. The network transport system of claim 1, wherein the means for selectively compensating for the measured transmit/receive path differential delay comprise a first-in, first-out (FIFO) buffer operable for selectively adding buildout delay to one or more of the transmit path and the receive path.

5. The network transport system of claim 4, wherein the means for selectively compensating for the measured transmit/receive path differential delay further comprise a control circuit operable for controlling the operation of the FIFO buffer based on the measured transmit/receive path differential delay.

6. The network transport system of claim 1, further comprising one or more wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) platforms.

7. The network transport system of claim 6, wherein the one or more WDM platforms comprise an integrated GPS receiver for receiving a GPS time reference for the absolute time reference.

8. The network transport system of claim 1, wherein the first and second server complex are a Geographically-Dispersed Parallel Sysplex (GDPS) from IBM Corporation.

9. A network transport method, comprising: measuring a transmit/receive path differential delay associated with a transmit path and a receive path communicatively linking a first server complex and a second server complex, wherein measuring the transmit/receive path differential delay comprises measuring the transmit/receive path differential delay using a local clock, and wherein the local clock is in communication with an absolute time reference; andselectively compensating for the measured transmit/receive path differential delay.

10. The network transport method of claim 9, wherein measuring the transmit/receive path differential delay comprises determining the difference between a delay associated with the transmit path and a delay associated with the receive path.

11. The network transport method of claim 9, wherein the absolute time reference comprises a global positioning system (GPS) time reference.

12. The network transport method of claim 9, wherein selectively compensating for the measured transmit/receive path differential delay comprises selectively adding buildout delay to one or more of the transmit path and the receive path using a first-in, first-out (FIFO) buffer.

13. The network transport method of claim 12, wherein the FIFO buffer comprises a control circuit operable for controlling the operation of the FIFO buffer based on the measured transmit/receive path differential delay.

14. The network transport method of claim 9, further comprising providing one or more wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) platforms.

15. The network transport method of claim 14, wherein the one or more WDM platforms comprise an integrated GPS receiver for receiving a GPS time reference for the absolute time reference.

16. The network transport method of claim 15, wherein selectively compensating for the measured transmit/receive path differential delay comprises selectively adding buildout delay to one or more of the transmit path and the receive path using a first-in, first-out (FIFO) buffer, the FIFO buffer located in the one or more WDM platforms.

17. A network transport device, comprising: a wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) platform;a first-in, first-out (FIFO) buffer disposed within the WDM platform operable for adding buildout delay to one or more of a transmit path and a receive path associated with the WDM platform;a control circuit disposed within the WDM platform operable for controlling the operation of the FIFO buffer based upon a measured transmit/receive path differential delay; anda local clock disposed within the WDM platform operable for communicating and syncing with a remotely-located absolute time reference.

18. The network transport device of claim 17, further comprising a filter disposed within the WDM platform operable for filtering out predetermined transmit path delays and receive path delays.

19. The network transport device of claim 18, further comprising an integrated GPS receiver within the WDM platform, the integrated GPS receiver operable for receiving a GPS time reference for the remotely-located absolute time reference.

20. The network transport device of claim 19, wherein the integrated GPS receiver comprises an antenna with satellite acquisition and tracking capabilities.