Patent ID: 7593322

Claim:
A network element arranged to be coupled within a working path of an optical network, the network element comprising: a plurality of ports including first and second ports arranged to be coupled to Optical Carrier (OC) links within the working path; a switch fabric connected to the plurality of ports and configured to couple the first and second ports such that data traffic received on one of the first and second ports is output on the other; a table configured to have entered into it a protection entry for assigning prior to any failure in the working path a protection path having a plurality of network elements, the protection entry including protection switching data; and a control unit, connected to the switch fabric, that operates to monitor for a failure within the working path and, if a failure is detected in the working path, to look-up the protection entry within the table to obtain the protection switching data and to insert the protection switching data within the data traffic for configuring the protection path; wherein the table is configured to have entered into it a plurality of protection entries each for assigning a respective protection path having a plurality of network elements, the plurality of protection entries each including respective protection switching data, the plurality of protection entries comprising the protection entry; and wherein, if another failure is detected in the working path, the control unit is adapted to look-up a looked-up protection entry, of the plurality of protection entries within the table, corresponding to the other failure, and to insert the respective protection switching data of the looked-up protection entry within the data traffic for establishing the respective protection path corresponding to the looked-up protection entry.