Patent ID: 7287081

Claim:
A method for maintaining a network comprising the steps of: issuing a command at a user interface coupled to the network, the command including an identifier associated with a working connection associated with at least one call between two devices in the network, the command for controlling selection of facilities for an alternate connection, the alternate connection to support the at least one call during maintenance of the connection, wherein communications traffic is forwarded over the working connection while the selection of facilities for the alternate connection is performed, wherein the network is an Automatically Switched Transport Network (ASTN), having a control plane, management plane and transport plane, wherein the commands for controlling selection are executed in the control plane of the ASTN, wherein the command is for forcing traffic on the working connection between the two devices to be routed to the alternate connection following the selection of the facilities for the alternate connection; and issuing a Lock out of Restoration command for forcing traffic back from the alternate connection to the working connection.