Patent ID: 7342873

Claim:
A method of routing traffic between elements of a network so as to provide protection against network failures, the method comprising the steps of: routing a given traffic demand from a first network element to a second network element; and processing the traffic demand in the second network element such that a copy of a signal associated with the demand is at least one of: (i) retained at the second network element, while the signal is routed to at least one additional network element; and (ii) routed to at least one additional network element, while the signal is routed to at least one network element other than the additional network element; wherein the second network element is coupled to a first dual-homed network element of a set of dual-homed network elements, either directly or via a given network element corresponding to said at least one network element other than the additional network element; and wherein the given network element corresponding to said at least one additional network element is coupled to a second dual-homed network element of the set of dual-homed network elements, either directly or via another additional network element.