Patent ID: 7269346
Filing Date: 2007-09-11
Classification: H04J

Abstract:
1. A method for performing automatic protecting switching in an optical communications network composed of optical channel shared protection rings including optical add-drop ring multiplexers, said network including two endpoint nodes and one or more intermediate nodes and a protection path, said method comprising: initiating at a first endpoint node protection switching by generating a first channel failure message and transmitting the first channel failure message toward the second endpoint node along a protection path upon detection of a failure; initiating at a second endpoint node protection switching by generating a second channel failure message and transmitting the second channel failure message toward the first endpoint node along a protection path upon detection of a failure; within each node on the protection path, including both end nodes and said one or more intermediate nodes: initiating a corresponding channel failure response message at each of the first and second end nodes if and only if: protection switching actions for both directions are completed; and a channel failure message that is originated from the other end node has arrived.