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US 2011/0217035 A1Published application
Protection Mechanism for a Communications Network
AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
InventorsOrazio Toscano, Sergio Lanzone
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Abstract
The invention relates to a protection mechanism for a communications network. A node, a method, a computer program product and a communications network to provide protection for an optical communications network are disclosed. Communications traffic is selecting from a working path in the optical network. A first fault condition is determining on the working path. The communications traffic is selected from a protection path in the optical network in response to clearing of the first fault and determining a second fault condition on the working path within a first predetermined time period of determining the first fault condition.
Claims14
1:
- A method of protecting communications traffic in an optical communications network, the method comprising:
- selecting the communications traffic from a working path in the optical network;
- determining a first fault condition on the working path;
- and
- selecting the communications traffic from a protection path in the optical network in response to clearing of the first fault and determining at least a second fault condition on the working path within a first predetermined time period of determining the first fault condition.
2 more elements
2:
- A method according to claim 1, and further including selecting the communications traffic from the protection path in response to determining that a fault condition is still present at the end of the first predetermined time period following determining of the first fault condition.
3:
- A method according to claim 1, further comprising selecting the communications traffic from the working path following a second predetermined time period in which no faults were detected on the working path.
4:
- A method according to claim 3, and further including using a Wait-to-Restore time as defined in the ITU G.841 standard as the second time period.
5:
- A method according to claim 1, and further including switching of the communications traffic to the protection path before selecting said protection path.
6:
- A method according to claim 1, wherein the first predetermined time period is greater than or equal to the hold-off time defined in ITU G.841.
7:
- A node of an optical communications network, the node comprising:
- an input arranged to receive communications traffic from a working path and a protection path in the optical network;
- a fault detection unit arranged to detect fault conditions on the working path;
- and
- a selector arranged to select the communications traffic from the protection path in the optical communications network in response to clearing of a first fault and the fault detection unit determining at least a second fault on the working path within a first predetermined time period.
2 more elements
8:
- A node according to claim 7, wherein the selector is further arranged to select the communications traffic from the protection path in response to the fault detection unit determining that a fault condition is still present at the end of the first predetermined time period following determining of the first fault.
9:
- A node according to claim 7, wherein the selector is arranged to select the communications traffic from the working path following a second predetermined time period in which no faults were detected on the working path.
10:
- A node according to claim 9, wherein the second predetermined time period is a Wait-to-Restore time as defined in the ITU G.841 standard.
11:
- A node according to claim 7, further arranged to instruct switching of the communications traffic to the protection path before selecting said protection path.
12:
- A node according to claim 7, wherein the first predetermined time period is greater than or equal to the hold-off time defined in ITU G.841.
13:
- A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein a computer program that, when executed by a computer, causes the compter to perform a method of protecting communications traffic in an optical communications network, the method comprising:
- selecting the communications traffic from a working path in the optical network;
- determining a first fault condition on the working path;
- and
- selecting the communications traffic from a protection path in the optical network in response to clearing of the first fault and determining at least a second fault condition on the working path within a first predetermined time period of determining the first fault condition.
2 more elements
14:
- A communications network configured using a method of protecting communications traffic in an optical communications network, the method comprising:
- selecting the communications traffic from a working path in the optical network;
- determining a first fault condition on the working path;
- and
- selecting the communications traffic from a protection path in the optical network in response to clearing of the first fault and determining at least a second fault condition on the working path within a first predetermined time period of determining the first fault condition.
2 more elements