System and method for providing destination-to-source protection switch setup in optical network topologies

A network protection configuration, comprising:

• an optical fiber network comprising
• a plurality of optical network nodes each coupled to transmit and receive optical signals carried on distinct wavelengths on optical fibers of the optical fiber network, and
• a source node attempting to transmit the optical signals via a failed transmission path and a destination node detecting the failed transmission path;
• and
• a communication channel established from the destination node to the source node to transmit a path failure notification, wherein a route established by the destination-to-source communication channel traversing one or more of the optical network nodes defines an alternate transmission path, and wherein the network nodes defining the alternate transmission path are configured to be switched based on available capacity to allow information from the failed transmission path to be rerouted in response to the path failure notification to facilitate source-to-destination transmission of the optical signals from the failed transmission path along the alternate path.

A network protection configuration, comprising:

• an optical fiber network comprising a plurality of optical network nodes each coupled to transmit and receive optical signals carried on distinct wavelengths on optical fibers of the optical fiber network,
• wherein each of the plurality of optical network nodes comprises:
• a fiber cross-connect circuit coupled to receive one or more of the optical fibers of the optical fiber network and to switch the optical signals on the optical fibers to particular output ports of the fiber cross-connect to route the optical signals on the optical fibers to targeted optical fibers;
• an optical cross-connect circuit coupled to receive one or more of the optical signals and to switch the optical signals to particular output ports of the optical cross-connect to route the optical signals to targeted ones of the optical fibers;
• destination-to-source communication channel established from a destination node detecting a failed transmission path to a source node to transmit a failed path notification,
• wherein a route established by the destination-to-source communication channel traversing one or more of the optical network nodes defines an alternate transmission path based on available capacity to allow information from the failed transmission path to be rerouted, and
• wherein the fiber cross-connect and optical cross-connect circuits of the network nodes defining the alternate transmission path are switched in response to the failed path notification to facilitate source-to-destination transmission of the optical signals from the failed transmission path along the alternate path.

A method, comprising:

• establishing a protection path for a failed optical link between a source node and a destination node in an optical wave division multiplexing mesh network, wherein a transfer of optical signals from the source node to the destination node is suspended by the failed optical link;
• detecting the failed optical link at the destination node by recognizing the loss of optical power at destination node cross-connect ports;
• transmitting a link failure signal via a communication channel from the destination node detecting the failed link to the source node through at least one alternate node;
• determining whether a node of the at least one alternate node has available capacity to allow transmission of the suspended optical signals to be rerouted;
• configuring a cross-connect switch at each of the alternate nodes receiving the link failure signal, comprising cross-connecting input ports to output ports of the cross-connect switch such that a source-to-destination protection path for transmission of the suspended optical signals is established as the link failure signal is transmitted from the destination node to the source node;
• and
• switching the suspended optical signals from the failed optical link to the source-to-destination protection path upon receipt of the link failure signal at the source node, wherein the source-to-destination protection path is set up using a destination-to-source communication channel.

A network node, comprising:

• a port configured to receive information from a destination-to-source communication link;
• a control circuit operably connected to the port and configured to a cross-connect section;
• and
• the cross-connect section operably connected to the control circuit and configured to direct network traffic flow between a first node and a second node,
• wherein the control circuit is configured, upon receipt of the information from a destination-to-source communication link, said information identifying that a protection path for a failed link between the first and the second node is to be established based on available capacity in the protection path, to cause the cross-connect section to execute a switch function to allow source-to-destination information traffic flow along a path defined by the information received from destination-to-source communication channel.