Patent ID: 7978596

Claim:
A connection-oriented network node being designated as an originating node of a protection path serving as a bypath of a protection segment included in a working path in a network system in which data is transferred via a path previously established between nodes, the network node comprising: a memory configured: to be stored with information about a working path passing the network node itself; to be stored with such information that a protection path is associated with the working path having a protection segment to be protected by this protection path; and to be stored with, per protection path, required bandwidths of nodes and links protected by the protection path with respect to an interface transmitting data that is forwarded on the protection path; and a processor configured: to retrieve information of one or more working paths including a protection segment protected by a setup target protection path to be set up based on a setting up command of the protection path from the memory; to register, in the memory, the retrieved working paths information and the setup target protection path information that contains the protection segment and a usage bandwidth in a way that associates the retrieved working paths information with the setup target protection path information; to record, with respect to protection nodes and protection links included in the protection segment protected by the setup target protection path, usage bandwidths of the setup target protection path in the memory; to calculate a total value of the usage bandwidths of each protection path related to the protection nodes and protection links, which are registered in the memory; to judge whether or not a maximum value in the calculated total value exceeds a usable bandwidth for the protection path that is being preset with respect to the interface; and to generate, when it is judged that the maximum value does not exceed the usable bandwidth, a signaling message for setting up the setup target protection path to notify of this message each of the nodes located on the setup target protection path, the processor generating a signaling message containing a usage bandwidth of the setup target protection path and the protection segment protected by the setup target protection path in order for each of relay nodes on the setup target protection path that receives the signaling message for the setup target protection path to judge whether or not the usage bandwidth of the protection path in the interface of the relay node itself, which corresponds to the setup target protection path, exceeds a usable bandwidth for the protection path that is being preset to the interface by the setup of the setup target protection path.