Patent ID: 7539775

Claim:
A communications system used in a network where a plurality of communication nodes are connected, comprising: a digital wrapper unit, which is provided in each of the plurality of communication nodes, transmitting/receiving a digital wrapper frame; a converting unit, which is provided in each of first and second communication nodes among the plurality of communication nodes, performing mutual conversion between data in a predetermined format and a digital wrapper frame; and a network management unit managing states of the plurality of communication nodes, wherein said digital wrapper unit transmits to the second communication node a digital wrapper frame obtained by said converting unit in the first communication node in accordance with an instruction from said network management unit, and said converting unit, which is provided in the second communication node, converts the received digital wrapper frame into the data in the predetermined format, and wherein said network management unit comprises a first storing unit storing topology information that represents a connection relationship among the plurality of communication nodes, a second storing unit storing route information that represents a communication route connecting the first communication node and the second communication node, and a controlling unit giving an instruction to a communication node involved in the communication route based on the topology information and the route information, and wherein a payload of the digital wrapper frame includes a first area and a second area, and said network management unit manages information for using communication resources of respective lines between the plurality of communication nodes as first and second paths, and said controlling unit gives to a corresponding communication node an instruction for setting up the communication route by using the first path to transmit data in the first area if a fault is not detected on the network, and gives to a corresponding communication node an instruction for setting up a bypass route by using the second path to transmit data in the second area according to a location where a fault occurs if the fault is detected on the network.