Route on failure method and apparatus for automatic rerouting network traffic through a reconfigurable, intelligent signal multiplexer upon failures of multiplexer components or of network spans

A graphical user interface network manager for configuring network nodes, the graphical user interface network manager capable of constructing a plurality of maps for configuring the network nodes, each network node having a plurality of network ports and a plurality of channel elements selected from the group consisting of network ports, channel sources, and channel sinks, the network node capable of passing network traffic from the plurality of channel elements to network ports of the plurality of network ports, wherein the graphical user interface network manager is capable of configuring each map with a plurality of route designators comprising at least:

• a primary association of at least one channel element with a network port of the plurality of network ports for passing traffic,
• a priority,
• a first alternate association of at least one channel element with a network port of the plurality of network ports for passing traffic upon inability of the network node to pass traffic according to the primary association, and
• a second alternate association of at least one channel element with a network port of the plurality of network ports for passing traffic upon inability of the network node to pass traffic according to the primary association.

A network comprising:

• a plurality of network nodes,
• each network node comprising at least one controller and having a plurality of network ports,
• where each network node is capable of passing traffic between network ports and channel elements selected from the group consisting of traffic sources, traffic sinks, and network ports;
• a plurality of spans, each span coupled to pass traffic between a network port of a network node of the plurality of network nodes, and a network port of a different network node of the plurality of network nodes, wherein each network port coupled to a span has a status comprising a failure indicator that indicated whether traffic can be passed through the network port over the span;
• wherein the at least one controller of each network node has a memory system which enables the RoF associated therewith, the memory system storing a configuration of the node, the configuration comprising at least one map capable of representing
• at least a first and a second primary route designator, and
• at least a first alternate route designator associated with the first primary route designator,
• at least a second alternate route designator associated with the first primary route designator,
• where each route designator associates at least one channel element with a network port of the plurality of network ports, and
• where a map of the at least one map is designated an active map;
• where each network node passes traffic according to the first and second primary route designators of its active map if all network ports of the node have failure indicators that do not indicate failure;
• where each network node passes traffic according to its first alternate route designator associated with the first primary route designator if a failure indicator of a network port associated by the first primary route designator indicates failure, and where traffic passed according to the second primary route designator is bumped if the second route designator associates a network port associated by the first alternate route designator and traffic is passed according to the first alternate route designator;
• and
• where each network node passes traffic according to its second alternate route designator associated with the first primary route designator if a failure indicator of network ports associated by both the first primary route designator and the first alternate route designator indicates failure.