Communication method and apparatus

A computer hardware chip, applied to a first network device in a ring network, wherein the ring network comprises a first flexible Ethernet (FlexE) cross-connection ring and a second FlexE cross-connection ring, the first FlexE cross-connection ring comprises the first network device, a second network device, and a third network device, and the second FlexE cross-connection ring comprises a fourth network device, the first network device, and the second network device, wherein the first network device is adjacent to the second network device, the first network device is adjacent to the third network device, and the first network device is adjacent to the fourth network device;

• the first network device and the second network device are intersection nodes of the first FlexE cross-connection ring and the second FlexE cross-connection ring;
• there is a first FlexE link group between the first network device and the third network device, there is a second FlexE link group between the first network device and the fourth network device, there is a third FlexE link group between the first network device and the second network device, the first FlexE link group is used to carry a first client and a fifth client;
• the second FlexE link group is used to carry a second client and a sixth client, the third FlexE link group is used to carry a third client and a fourth client, the third client is used to transmit data within the first FlexE cross-connection ring, and the fourth client is used to transmit data within the second FlexE cross-connection ring, and wherein each client is a client service implemented as an Ethernet flow;
• and
• the chip comprises:
• a processor circuit, configured to:
• determine that a fault occurs in the first FlexE link group;
• delete a FlexE cross-connection between the third client and the fifth client;
• and
• establish a FlexE cross-connection between the third client and the second client or the fourth client;
• wherein each FlexE cross-connection between two clients represents a timeslot cross-connection between timeslots allocated to the two clients.

A first network device, wherein applied to a ring network, wherein the ring network comprises a first flexible Ethernet (FlexE) cross-connection ring and a second FlexE cross-connection ring, the first FlexE cross-connection ring comprises the first network device, a second network device, and a third network device, and the second FlexE cross-connection ring comprises a fourth network device, the first network device, and the second network device, wherein the first network device is adjacent to the second network device, the first network device is adjacent to the third network device, and the first network device is adjacent to the fourth network device;

• the first network device and the second network device are intersection nodes of the first FlexE cross-connection ring and the second FlexE cross-connection ring;
• there is a first FlexE link group between the first network device and the third network device, there is a second FlexE link group between the first network device and the fourth network device, there is a third FlexE link group between the first network device and the second network device, the first FlexE link group is used to carry a first client and a fifth client;
• the second FlexE link group is used to carry a second client and a sixth client, the third FlexE link group is used to carry a third client and a fourth client, the third client is used to transmit data within the first FlexE cross-connection ring, and the fourth client is used to transmit data within the second FlexE cross-connection ring, and wherein each client is a client service implemented as an Ethernet flow;
• and
• the first network device comprises:
• a memory, wherein the memory comprises a computer-readable instruction;
• and
• a processor connected to the memory, wherein when the instructions executed by the processor, cause the first network device to:
• determine that a fault occurs in the first FlexE link group;
• delete a FlexE cross-connection between the third client and the fifth client;
• and
• establish a FlexE cross-connection between the third client and the second client or the fourth client;
• wherein each FlexE cross-connection between two clients represents a timeslot cross-connection between timeslots allocated to the two clients.