Overview of DCN

NMSs on a DCN use gateway network elements (GNEs) to manage NEs on the network.

The construction of a large network requires significant human and material resources if software commissioning engineers have to configure devices on site, causing high operational expenditure (OPEX). DCN can reduce the OPEX by allowing GNEs to manage NEs. DCN enables NMSs to rapidly detect new NEs and remotely control and manage the NEs.

The DCN technique offers a mechanism to implement plug-and-play. After an NE is installed and started, the NE generates an NEIP address based on its NEID, creates a mapping entry for the NEID and NEIP address, and adds the mapping entry to the DCN core routing table on the NE. Then the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) protocol automatically advertises the mapping entry to the DCN core routing table on each NE, enabling the NE to communicate with all other NEs on the DCN immediately after the NE starts.

To improve the system security, it is recommended that the NEIP address be changed to the planned one.

The DCN feature allows NMSs to use GNEs to manage NEs. A GNE supports the automatic NE report function, enabling the GNE to automatically report a new NE's information to NMSs immediately after the GNE detects the new NE. Then the NMSs can rapidly be aware of and manage the new NE. In addition, a GNE can send a trap to its interworking NMSs when the number of NEs connected to the GNE reaches the alarm threshold. Then the NMSs will generate alarms to inform users of this information.