Reduction of the transport capacity of a virtual concatenation group

A network element adapted to function as a sink side in a telecommunications network, in which a Virtual Concatenation Group can be transported from a source side to said sink side under control of a Link Capacity Adjustment Scheme (LCAS), wherein said Virtual Concatenation Group comprises a number of link members, in which payload data to be received at the sink side can be transmitted, the network element comprising:

• means for transmitting a first control message comprising a fail message (RFAIL) for one of said link members to the source side, while continuing reception of payload data for said one link member;
• means to receive in response to said first control message a second control message from the source side comprising a message (FDNU) indicating that payload data of said one link member shall not be used;
• and
• in response to said second control message, means to discontinue the reception of payload data for said one link member and remove or disable said one link member from said Virtual Concatenation Group.

A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having stored thereon program code means for performing a method of reducing the transport capacity of a Virtual Concatenation Group that is transported from a source side to a sink side in a telecommunications network under control of a Link Capacity Adjustment Scheme (LCAS), wherein said Virtual Concatenation Group comprises a number of link members, in which payload data to be received at the sink side can be transmitted, the method comprising the steps of when said program code means is run on a computer, the computer:

• transmitting a first control message from the sink side to the source side comprising a fail message (RFAIL) for one of said link members, while continuing reception of payload data for said one link member;
• receiving said first control message at the source side and transmitting in response a second control message from the source side to the sink side comprising a message (FDNU) indicating that payload data of said one link member shall not be used, while discontinuing transmission of payload data for said one link member;
• and
• receiving said second control message at the sink side, and, in response thereto, discontinuing the reception of payload data for said one link member and removing or disabling said one link member from said Virtual Concatenation Group on the sink side.