Patent ID: 6175552
Filing Date: 2001-01-16
Classification: H04J,H04Q

Abstract:
An arrangement for providing disaster recovery in a synchronous telecommunications network comprising a number of rings each arranged to carry routed traffic and each incorporating a plurality of multiplexers and each coupled to a switch via a respective master multiplexer, the arrangement including a disaster recovery interface point providing an interface to one or more remote switches, dormant master multiplexers one for each of said rings and each of said dormant master multiplexers being coupled to the disaster recovery interface point, means responsive to failure of said switch for activating said dormant master multiplexers as replacement master multiplexers so as to re-route traffic on said rings via said one or more remote switches, wherein each of said dormant master multiplexers has means for communication with the respective master mulitplexer, and wherein each said dormant master multiplexer is arranged to operate as a replacement master multiplexer in the event that said communication is interrupted, wherein said communication is effected via a supervisory channel, and incorporating a plurality of other switches each having reserve capacity, there being means responsive to the failure of said switch for re-routing traffic from said switch to the reserve capacity of the other switches.