Patent ID: 6891794
Filing Date: 2005-05-10
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A system for protecting a network comprising: a plurality of links located in said network; a transmitter switch comprising a transmitter line card coupled to a first end of each link of said plurality of links, for transmitting distinct data along each link of said plurality of links before a failure is detected on one of said plurality of links; and a receiver switch, coupled to a second end of each link of said plurality of links, for receiving said distinct data from each link of said plurality of links; wherein said distinct data transmitted along said one link of said plurality of links is switched to another link of said plurality of links when the failure is detected on said one link, wherein said distinct data transmitted along each link of said plurality of links comprises cells, and wherein said transmitter line card further comprises a transmitter classifier module for classifying said cells transmitted along each link of said plurality of links, a plurality of transmitter queuing buffers coupled to said classifier module, for receiving and storing said cells, and a transmitter multiplexing module coupled to each buffer of said plurality of transmitter queuing buffers and to each link of said plurality of links, for directing said cells stored in each buffer in a predetermined order to a corresponding link of said plurality of links.