Patent ID: 7167443
Filing Date: 2007-01-23
Classification: H04J,H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
1. A label switched router for receiving packet flows and routing the packet flows through a fiber optic ring network, the router comprising: a routing table that includes label switched working paths and label switched protection paths; a network interface unit that inserts a routing label on packets and converts the packets to a synchronous optical signal for transmission on the fiber optic ring network; a network condition unit for receiving and storing a failure indication received on overhead of a synchronous optical signal from the fiber optic ring network; in response to receiving the failure indication on the overhead of a synchronous optical signal in the fiber optic ring network, a protection path switching unit for determining packets that are to be transmitted on working paths affected by the failure and relabeling the packets for transmission on a label switched protection path in the fiber optic ring network; and wherein the failure indication in the overhead of the synchronous optical signal indicates a failed link or congested traffic conditions on a link in the fiber optic ring network, and wherein the failure indication includes information on type of problem and link location.