Data network having enhanced availability of extra traffic
AssigneeNortel Networks Limited
InventorsGerard L Swinkels, Craig T Dann, Dave Langridge
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a network having working and protection paths, extra traffic is put on the protection paths when they are not being used by working traffic. In the event of a fault in a working path, the working traffic is switched to a respective protection path using a span switch operation. The extra traffic is displaced, but at least some of it is protected by switching it to an alternative path using a ring switch operation.
Claims22
A data communication network comprising a plurality of nodes linked by spans, to carry working paths between the nodes for use by working traffic and to carry protection paths wherein at least some of the protection paths form a protection ring, the nodes being arranged to use the protection paths for extra traffic, when the protection paths are not being used for working traffic, the nodes being arranged to use one or more of the from the protection ring for working traffic in the event of a fault on one of the working paths, and thus displace the extra traffic from the protection path of paths used by the working traffic, the nodes further being arranged to use an alternative path comprising the remainder of the protection ring by the displaced extra traffic to protect at least some of the displaced extra traffic.
A data communication network comprising a plurality of nodes, an arrangement of high priority paths between the nodes, for carrying high priority traffic and a plurality of lower priority paths between the nodes, for use by the high priority traffic in the event of a fault in one of the high priority paths, and for use otherwise by lower priority traffic, the lower priority paths forming a ring, the nodes being arranged to carry out a span switch operation to replace a respective one or more of the high priority paths by a corresponding one of more of the lower priority paths, the nodes further being arranged to carry out a ring switch to send at least some of the lower priority around the ring of lower priority paths, and avoid those of the low priority paths used by the span switch operation.
A node for a data communication network, the network comprising a plurality of such nodes, linked by spans to carry working paths between the nodes, for use by working traffic and to carry protection paths wherein at least some of the protection paths form a protection ring, the node comprising a switch for switching extra traffic onto the protection paths when the protection paths are not being used for working traffic, the switch further being arranged to switch the wording traffic onto one or more of the protection paths from the protection ring in the event of a fault on one of the working paths, and to switch at least some of the displaced extra traffic onto an alternative path comprising the remainder of the protection ring by the displaced extra traffic.
A method of operating a data communication network, the network comprising a plurality of nodes linked by spans, to carry working paths between the nodes for use by working traffic and to carry protection paths wherein at least some of the protection paths form a protection ring, the method comprising the steps of:
- using the protection paths to carry extra traffic, when the protection paths are not being used for working traffic,
- using one or more of the from the protection ring to carry working traffic in the event of a fault on one of the working paths, and thus displace the extra traffic from the protection path or paths used by the working traffic, and
- using an alternative path comprising the remainder of the protection ring by the displaced extra traffic to protect at least some of the displaced extra traffic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.