Patent ID: 7372806

Claim:
A communications network comprising: first and second nodes interconnected by communication links; and a traffic path established between a source node and a destination node; each of said first and second nodes including routing control means for establishing first and second transport paths on a first fault recovery layer between said first and second nodes, said first node further including a database for storing identities of said first and second transport paths as a single virtual link as viewed from said source node, said first and second nodes accommodating said traffic path on a second fault recovery layer through said first transport path, and accommodating said traffic path on said second fault recovery layer through said second transport path when said first transport path is not working properly; wherein each of said first and second nodes comprises: a first table memory for storing routing data of said first and second transport paths and said traffic path; a second table memory for storing switching data derived from said routing data; a switch for terminating said first and second transport paths; and a controller for establishing a connection in said switch according to said switching data so that said traffic path is accommodated in said first transport path, said controller responding to an occurrence of a failure in said first transport path for updating said routing data, updating the switching data according to the updated routing data and reestablishing a connection in said switch according to the updated switching data so that said traffic path is accommodated in said second transnort path.