Patent ID: 7483629

Claim:
An optical system, comprising: at least one optical path; a plurality of nodes interconnected pairwise by the at least one optical path, wherein each of said nodes includes an optical switch configured to access a protection net for set of demand forming a protection group and at least one of said optical switches includes at least distinct dedicated and shared protection switching sections; a first client optical transmitter in optical communication with said at least one of the optical switches including at least distinct dedicated and shared protection switching sections; at least first and second receivers optically communicating with said at least one of the optical switches including at least distinct dedicated and shared protection switching sections; wherein: said dedicated protection switching section includes: a splitter having a splitter input port optically communicating with a first switch input port and at least first and second splitter output ports; a first transmitter switch having a first input port in optical communication with said first splitter output port, a first output port in optical communication with said first receiver, and a second output port; and, a second transmitter switch having a first input port in optical communication with said second splitter output port, a second input port, and a first output port in optical communication with said first input port and said second receiver in a first switch state and in optical communication with said second input port and said second receiver in a second switch state.