Patent ID: 7180867
Filing Date: 2007-02-20
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a multiservice packet based switch including redundant switching cores, said method comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of ingress and egress communications traffic flow controllers, each of said ingress flow controllers directing one or more threads of said communications traffic over one or another of said redundant switching cores; monitoring communications flow paths traversing ones of said ingress flow controllers, one of said redundant switching cores and corresponding ones of said egress flow controllers; detecting a failure in one of said communication flow paths at an egress flow controller in said failed flow path; and switching said flow path to a protection path via another of said switching cores, whereupon flow paths that are unaffected by said failure remain in place and do not switch cores; wherein said egress flow controller in said failed flow path operates to detect said path failure and to effect said switching of said failed flow path to said protection path independently of communication with a corresponding ingress flow controller, said path switching being thereby transparent to said corresponding ingress flow controller.