Patent ID: 6711125
Filing Date: 2004-03-23
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method for use in a network including a plurality of nodes and a plurality of links interconnecting the nodes, comprising:for each of a plurality of virtual connections, establishing a normal path and backup path, including: for each normal path, evaluating whether each link in said normal path has adequate resources to accommodate said respective virtual connection; for each backup path, evaluating whether each link in said backup path has adequate resources to accommodate said respective virtual connection in the event of a failure f in said normal path; communicating information for said respective virtual connection on said normal path, but not said backup path, in the absence of a failure in said normal path; in the event of a failure f in said normal path, communicating information for said respective virtual connection on said backup path; establishing a virtual connection between an external network and a destination node via a first attachment through a first node and a second attachment through a second node, wherein information from said external network for said destination node will arrive at said network at either said first node or said second node including establishing a first normal path from said first node to said destination node and a first backup path from said first node to said destination node, and establishing a second normal path from said second node to said destination node and a second backup path from said second node to said destination node, wherein more than a minimal number of links and nodes in said first normal path are common with the links and nodes in said second backup path, and wherein more than a minimal number of links and nodes in said second normal path are common with the links and nodes of said first backup path; designating a common queue for said first normal path and said second backup path in the nodes that are common between said first normal path and said second backup path; and designating a common queue for said second normal path and said first backup path in the nodes that are common between said second normal path and said first backup path.