Patent ID: 7756018
Filing Date: 2010-07-13
Classification: H04Q

Abstract:
1. A method for providing fast protection in a passive optical network (“PON”) including two central hubs connected to a provider network and a plurality of network nodes in the PON connected to a first one of the central hubs by a first optical path and to a second one of the central hubs by a second optical path, the method comprising: setting the first central hub to master mode, such that only the first central hub transmits data traffic from the provider network to the plurality of network nodes over the first optical path and receives data traffic from the plurality of network nodes over the first optical path, wherein each of the plurality of network nodes are associated with a virtual local area network (VLAN); setting the second central hub to slave mode, such the second central hub drops data traffic received from the provider network and the second optical path; detecting a failure in the first and second optical paths; exchanging status information between the first and second central hubs to determine a status of the first and second optical path; determining the first central hub has connectivity to a first set of the plurality of network nodes over the first optical path, wherein the first set of the plurality of network nodes is associated with a first set of VLANs and the second central hub has connectivity to a second set of the plurality of network nodes over the second optical path, wherein the second set of the plurality of network nodes is associated with at a second set of VLANs; transmitting by the first central hub data traffic from the provider network associated with the first set of VLANs to the first set of the plurality of network nodes over the first optical path and dropping any data traffic received from the provider network associated with the second set of VLANs; and transmitting by the second central hub data traffic from the provider network associated with the second set of VLANs to the second set of the plurality of network nodes over the second optical path and dropping any data traffic received from the provider network associated with the first set of VLANs.