Automated restoration of unrestored link and nodal failures

System for restoring traffic in a telecommunications network having a plurality of interconnected nodes when a failure occurs in a communications path to block traffic passing therethrough, comprising:

• a first of the nodes sandwiching said failure being designated a custodial sender;
• the other of said nodes sandwiching said failure being designated a custodial chooser;
• means for effecting link restoration between said custodial sender and said custodial chooser via spare circuits of said network for a first predetermined time period to find an alternate route for said traffic;
• means for identifying the two end nodes of said communications path if said link restoration fails to find said alternate route within said first predetermined time period;
• and
• means for effecting path restoration between said two end nodes to find at least one alternate path to reroute said traffic away from said failure.

A method of restoring traffic in a telecommunications network having a plurality of interconnected nodes when a node through which traffic passes fails, comprising the steps of:

• designating a first of the nodes sandwiching said failed node a custodial sender and the other a custodial chooser;
• effecting link restoration between said custodial sender and said custodial chooser within a first time period;
• determining communications path in said network to which said failed node is a part of;
• identifying the two end nodes of said communications path in said network if no alternate route is found between said custodial sender and said custodial chooser by said link restoration;
• and
• effecting path restoration between said two end nodes to find at least one alternate path to replace said communications path.

Apparatus for restoring traffic in a telecommunications network having a plurality of interconnected nodes when a node through which traffic passes fails, comprising:

• means for designating a first of the nodes sandwiching said failed node a custodial sender and the other a custodial chooser;
• means for effecting link restoration between said custodial sender and said custodial chooser within a first time period;
• means for determining communications path in said network to which said failed node is a part of;
• means for identifying the two end nodes for said communications path in said network if no alternate route is found between said custodial sender and said custodial chooser by said link restoration;
• and
• means for effecting path restoration between said two end nodes to find at least one alternate path to replace said communications path.