Patent ID: 6535481
Filing Date: 2003-03-18
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A protection cycle manager that processes data packets in the event of a link failure of a routing node that delivers data packets to a computer network via a plurality of links, the protection cycle manager comprising:a protection cycle packet identifier that identifies, as protection cycle packets, data packets having a specific protection cycle format that includes a packet source and a packet destination; and a protection cycle packet processor that processes each protection cycle packet to determine whether the packet destination corresponds to the routing node, and: i. if the packet destination corresponds to the routing node, the protection cycle packet is treated by the routing node as a data packet received from the packet source via the failed link; and ii. if the packet destination does not correspond to the routing node, the protection cycle packet is sent to a protection cycle node for the routing node; and a protection cycle packeter, that converts, in response to failure of a link for the routing node, affected data packets routed over the failed link into protection cycle packets in the specific protection cycle format.