Optimal Segment Identification for Shared Mesh Protection

A node, comprising:

• one or more input interface;
• one or more output interface;
• and
• one or more control module controlling the input interface and the output interface, the control module adapted to:
• receive information indicative of identified optimal segments, the identified optimal segments determined by creating a hypothetical network topology of a mesh network having nodes and an identified working path, wherein the identified working path carries data through the mesh network when there is no failure in the mesh network, the hypothetical network topology comprising the nodes of the identified working path and hypothetical links between the nodes, wherein each hypothetical link represents an identified potential protection segment having at least one disjoint protection path available for a segment of the identified working path, the segment being a sub-section of the identified working path comprising at least two nodes and one communication link on the identified working path, and the disjoint protection path not having communication links used by the identified working path, the hypothetical links being assigned a weight;
• executing a Shortest Path Algorithm on the hypothetical network topology to determine a shortest path through the hypothetical network topology;
• and identifying as optimal segments the potential protection segments represented by the hypothetical links determined as being in the shortest path by the Shortest Path Algorithm;
• generate at least one signal comprising at least one message;
• and
• transmit the signal comprising the message through the one or more output interface of the node, to an input interface of at least one other node in the mesh network, wherein the message communicates a need for resources in case of failure of the optimal segment of the working path.

A node comprising:

• one or more input interface;
• one or more output interface;
• and
• one or more control module controlling the input interface and the output interface, the control module adapted to:
• create a hypothetical network topology of a mesh network having nodes and an identified working path, wherein the identified working path carries data through the mesh network when there is no failure in the mesh network, the hypothetical network topology comprising the nodes of the identified working path and hypothetical links between the nodes, wherein each hypothetical link represents an identified potential protection segment having at least one disjoint protection path available for a segment of the identified working path, the segment being a sub-section of the identified working path comprising at least two nodes and one communication link on the identified working path, and the disjoint protection path not having communication links used by the identified working path, the hypothetical links being assigned a weight;
• execute a Shortest Path Algorithm on the hypothetical network topology to determine a shortest path through the hypothetical network topology;
• identify as optimal segments the potential protection segments represented by the hypothetical links determined as being in the shortest path by the Shortest Path Algorithm;
• generate at least one signal comprising at least one message;
• and
• transmit the signal comprising the message through the one or more output interface of the node, to an input interface of at least one other node in the mesh network, wherein the message communicates a need for resources in case of failure of the optimal segment of the identified working path.

A system comprising:

• at least one processor executing instructions that cause the processor to:
• create a hypothetical network topology of a mesh network having nodes and an identified working path, wherein the identified working path carries data through the mesh network when there is no failure in the mesh network, the hypothetical network topology comprising the nodes of the identified working path and hypothetical links between the nodes, wherein each hypothetical link represents an identified potential protection segment having at least one disjoint protection path available for a segment of the identified working path, the segment being a sub-section of the identified working path comprising at least two nodes and one communication link on the identified working path, and the disjoint protection path not having communication links used by the identified working path, the hypothetical links being assigned a weight;
• execute a Shortest Path Algorithm on the hypothetical network topology to determine a shortest path through the hypothetical network topology;
• identify as optimal segments the potential protection segments represented by the hypothetical links determined as being in the shortest path by the Shortest Path Algorithm;
• and
• a node comprising:
• one or more input interface;
• one or more output interface;
• and
• one or more control module controlling the input interface and the output interface, the control module adapted to:
• receive from the processor, information indicative of the identified optimal segments;
• generate at least one signal comprising at least one message;
• and
• transmit the signal comprising the message through the one or more output interface of the node, to an input interface of at least one other node in the mesh network, wherein the message communicates a need for resources in case of failure of the optimal segment of the identified working path.