Patent ID: 7046619

Claim:
A system for re-routing signals from an affected optical path in an optical network, comprising: a first node configured to generate a message upon detecting a condition indicating that the signals from the affected optical path need to be re-routed via a protection path to the first node, the first node is further configured to, upon generating the message, reserve a wavelength in the protection path, wherein the wavelength corresponds to the signals from the affected optical path so as to allow the signals from the affected optical path to be re-routed via the protection path; at least one intermediate node configured to receive the message; a second node configured to receive the message from the at least one intermediate node and reserve the wavelength in the protection path based on the information provided in the message, the second node is further configured to, upon receiving the message, generate an acknowledgment message to be transmitted to the first node via the at least one intermediate node; and contention control logic configured to resolve priority between the message and a second message with respect to reserving the wavelength in the protection path.