System and method for supporting sdh/sonet aps on ethernet

A method of providing SDH/SONET APS functionality on an Ethernet MAC hardware device and an Ethernet PHY hardware device by managing protection from failures and recovery from failures for an Ethernet Network, comprising:

• detecting a soft failure or hard failure along a first link on a near end network node of a working or protect channel;
• a PHY sublayer stored in the PHY hardware device generating an interrupt when a soft failure or hard failure is detected to invoke a MAC Client APS Controller;
• and
• switching to a second link to correct the failure;
• wherein the Ethernet MAC hardware device and the Ethernet PHY hardware device are configurable for use with a plurality of different network topologies to manage protection of working and protect channels from soft failures or hard failures and recovery from soft failures or hard failures on an Ethernet network;
• and
• wherein the Ethernet MAC hardware device comprises a MAC APS Control sublayer and a plurality of Ethernet MAC sublayers supporting SDH/SONET APS functionality and configured to process a MAC control frame stored on the Ethernet MAC hardware device.

An Ethernet MAC hardware device for supporting Ethernet MAC SDH/SONET Automatic Protection Switching (APS) functionality by managing protection from failures and recovery from failures on an Ethernet network, the device comprising:

• at least one MAC sublayer stored on the Ethernet MAC hardware device adapted to monitor working and protect channels and generate an interrupt upon detecting a soft failure or hard failure by monitoring working or protect channels;
• wherein the interrupt invokes a MAC Client APS Controller for use with a plurality of different network topologies to manage protection of working and protect channels from soft failures or hard failures and recovery from soft failures or hard failures on an Ethernet network;
• and
• wherein the Ethernet MAC hardware device comprises a MAC APS Control sublayer and a plurality of Ethernet MAC sublayers supporting SDH/SONET APS functionality and configured to process a MAC control frame stored on the Ethernet MAC hardware device.

A method of providing SDH/SONET APS functionality on an Ethernet MAC hardware device by managing protection from failures and recovery from failures for an Ethernet Network, comprising:

• detecting a soft failure or hard failure along a first line on a near end network node of a working or protect channel;
• a MAC sublayer stored in the MAC hardware device generating an interrupt when a soft failure or hard failure is detected to invoke a MAC Client APS Controller;
• and
• switching to a second link to correct the failure;
• wherein the Ethernet MAC hardware device is configurable for use with a plurality of different network topologies to manage protection of working and protect channels from soft failures or hard failures and recovery from soft failures or hard failures on an Ethernet network;
• and
• wherein the Ethernet MAC hardware device comprises a MAC APS Control sublayer and a plurality of Ethernet MAC sublayers supporting SDH/SONET APS functionality and configured to process a MAC control frame stored on the Ethernet MAC hardware device.