Patent ID: 8248913

Claim:
A method, comprising: (1) establishing a current working path corresponding to a first path through a network between a first location and a second location and a current protect path corresponding to a second path through the network between the first location and the second location, the current working path and the current protect path forming a current working-protection arrangement configured to facilitate communication between the first and second locations; (2) receiving information associated with the establishment of the current working path and the current protect path; (3) receiving notification of a failure of the current working path and the current protect path; (4) determining what type of new working path and new protect path need to be created based at least in part on one or more protection policies associated with the working-protection arrangement between the first location and the second location; (5) establishing the new working path and the new protect path through the network between the first location and the second location and releasing resources of the failed current working path and the failed current protect path; (6) receiving information associated with the establishment of the new working path as the current working path and the new protect path as the current protect path; and (7) repeating Steps (3), (4), (5) and (6) each time a failure occurs on at least one of the current working path and current protect path.