LAG 1+1 handoff between packet and OTN

A method comprising steps of:

• performing a first bridge and select function to convert Link Aggregation protection associated a first set of ports, configured to connect to a router via a Link Aggregation, to a single connection, wherein the first bridge and select function comprises a virtual switch implementing an Ethernet Tree (ETREE) having two leaf ports on a fabric-facing side of the ETREE coupled to the single connection and a root port on a router-facing side of the ETREE coupled to the first set of ports, and wherein the steps further include selecting between the leaf ports by ingress squelching which performs blocking in a break-before-make manner on an inactive path using an Interlaken (ILKN) interface in response to a status evaluation of 1+1 protection based on at least one working-path status indicator and at least one protection-path status indicator;
• and
• performing a second bridge and select function to convert the single connection to the 1+1 protection associated with a second set of ports, configured to communicatively connect to a network element over a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) network.

A switching circuit configured to perform steps of:

• performing a first bridge and select function to convert Link Aggregation protection associated with a first set of ports, configured to connect to a router via a Link Aggregation, to a single connection, wherein the first bridge and select function comprises a virtual switch implementing an Ethernet Tree (ETREE) having two leaf ports on a fabric-facing side of the ETREE coupled to the single connection and a root port facing on a router-facing side of the ETREE coupled the first set of ports, and wherein the switching circuit is further configured to select between the leaf ports by ingress squelching which performs blocking in a break-before-make manner on an inactive path using an Interlaken (ILKN) interface in response to a status evaluation of 1+1 protection based on at least one working-path status indicator and at least one protection-path status indicator, and
• performing a second bridge and select function to convert the single connection to the 1+1 protection associated with a second set of ports, configured to communicatively connect to a network element over a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) network.