Transport interface for performing protection switching of telecommunications traffic

A broadband interface for communicating protection switching of telecommunications traffic, comprising:

• a first main interface operable to communicate with a first in-band datalink implemented in the telecommunications traffic;
• a second main interface operable to communicate with a second in-band datalink implemented in the telecommunications traffic, the telecommunications traffic being transferred through the first and second main interfaces;
• and
• a third main interface operable to communicate with a first protection pair datalink, the first protection pair datalink operable to carry a protection message indicating that a protection switch is to be performed, the first and second in-band datalinks operable to carry an associated message indicating the protection switch and a protection status in response to the protection message, wherein the third main interface is operable to initiate the protection switch in response to the protection message.

A broadband interface for communicating protection switching of telecommunications traffic, comprising:

• a first main interface operable to communicate with a first in-band datalink implemented in the telecommunications traffic;
• a second main interface operable to communicate with a second in-band datalink implemented in the telecommunications traffic, the telecommunications traffic being transferred through the first and second main interfaces;
• and
• a third main interface operable to communicate with a first protection pair datalink, the first protection pair datalink operable to carry a protection message indicating that a protection switch is to be performed, the first and second in-band datalinks operable to carry an associated message indicating the protection switch and a protection status in response to the protection message, wherein the third main interface is operable to compare a protection switch priority to a failure priority which triggered the protection message to determine whether to perform the protection switch.

A broadband interface for communicating protection switching of telecommunications traffic, comprising:

• a first main interface operable to communicate with a first in-band datalink implemented in the telecommunications traffic;
• a second main interface operable to communicate with a second in-band datalink implemented in the telecommunications traffic, the telecommunications traffic being transferred through the first and second main interfaces;
• a third main interface operable to communicate with a first protection pair datalink, the first protection pair datalink operable to carry a protection message indicating that a protection switch is to be performed, the first and second in-band datalinks operable to carry an associated message indicating the protection switch and a protection status in response to the protection message
• a first protection interface operable to communicate with the first in-band datalink implemented in the telecommunications traffic;
• a second protection interface operable to communicate with the second in-band datalink implemented in the telecommunications traffic;
• and
• a third protection interface operable to communicate with the first protection pair datalink, the third main interface operable to detect a failure within the first, second, and third main interfaces, the third main interface operable to generate the protection message in response to failure detection.