POINT: An Intent-Driven Framework for Integrated Packet-Optical In-Band Network Telemetry

Abstract

Emerging packet-optical networks have exposed flexibility and scalability limitations of current network telemetry mechanisms. Recent work in packet networks has explored the possibility of improving network telemetry for devices that have programmable data planes with encouraging results. Extending those mechanisms into optical networks, however, is far from straightforward due to factors such as layering and presence of devices that do not process packets. We introduce a framework that overcomes those challenges for packet-optical networks with constructs to unify telemetry across packet and optical network segments. We demonstrate the utility of the proposed framework with an implementation of use-case examples in packet-optical network telemetry.