Apparatus and Method For Optical Transport Networks

A node for use in an optical transport network, the node comprising:

• one or more input interface for receiving one or more lower order optical channel data unit traffic signals;
• an output interface for outputting a higher order optical channel data unit traffic signal;
• a multiplexer adapted to multiplex the one or more lower order optical channel data traffic signals into the higher order optical channel data unit traffic signal;
• and
• a processor adapted to control the operation of the multiplexer, such that protocol information for bidirectional protection switching is mapped into a respective header portion of the one or more lower order optical channel data unit traffic signals.

A method in a node of an optical transport network, the method comprising:

• receiving one or more lower order optical channel data unit (LO-ODU) traffic signals;
• multiplexing the one or more lower order optical channel data (LO-ODU) traffic signals into a higher order optical channel data unit (HO-ODU) traffic signal;
• and
• outputting the higher order optical channel data unit (HO-ODU) traffic signal,
• wherein the multiplexing step comprises mapping protocol information for bidirectional protection switching into a respective header portion of the one or more lower order optical channel data unit (LO-ODU) traffic signals.

A node for use in an optical transport network, the node comprising:

• an input interface for receiving a higher order optical channel data unit traffic signal, which comprises one or more lower order optical channel data unit (LO-ODU) traffic signals;
• one or more output interface for outputting one or more lower order optical channel data unit traffic signals;
• a demultiplexer adapted to demultiplex the one or more traffic signals from the higher order optical channel data unit traffic signal;
• and
• a processor adapted to control the operation of the demultiplexer, such that protocol information for bidirectional protection switching is unmapped from a respective header portion of the one or more lower order optical channel data unit traffic signals.

A method in a node of an optical transport network, the method comprising:

• receiving a higher order optical channel data unit traffic signal, which comprises one or more lower order optical channel data unit (LO-ODU) traffic signals;
• demultiplexing the one or more lower order optical channel data unit (LO-ODU) traffic signals from the higher order optical channel data unit (HO-ODU) traffic signal;
• and
• outputting one or more lower order optical channel data unit traffic signals,
• wherein the demultiplexing step comprises unmapping protocol information for bidirectional protection switching from a respective header portion of the one or more lower order optical channel data unit (LO-ODU) traffic signals.