Distributed protection switching

A system for responding to failures involving SPVx (switched-permanent virtual circuit) connections comprising:

• a primary source node;
• a primary source switch for producing an SPVx connection, the primary source node in communication with the primary source switch;
• a primary destination node;
• a primary destination switch for receiving the SPVx connection, the primary destination node in communication with the primary destination switch, the connection following a primary path between the primary source node and the primary destination node;
• an alternate source switch;
• and
• an alternate source node in communication with the alternate source switch, the alternate source switch re-establishing automatically the connection to the primary destination node along an alternate path when the primary source switch detects a failure of the primary path, the alternate path formed by the alternate source node and the primary destination node only after the primary path experiences a failure, the primary source switch in communication with the alternate source switch to identify to the alternate source switch there is a failure in regard to the primary path, the alternate source switch re-establishes the SPVx connection from the primary source node to the primary destination node when the failure clears.

A method for responding to failures involving SPVx (switched-permanent virtual circuit) connections comprising the steps of:

• forming an SPVx connection between a primary source node and a primary destination node;
• detecting a failure on a primary path having the primary source node;
• communicating between a primary source switch in communication with the primary source node and an alternate source switch in communication with an alternate source node to identify to the alternate source switch there is a failure in regard to the primary source node;
• re-establishing automatically the SPVx connection with the alternate source node along an alternate path having the primary destination node;
• and
• re-establishing the SPVx connection from the primary source switch to the primary destination node after the failure has cleared.

A method for responding to failures of connections in a network comprising the steps of:

• establishing a single end-to-end connection across a network between a primary source node and a primary destination node with multiple re-route options;
• experiencing a failure in the connection;
• re-routing the connection across the network between the primary source node and an alternate destination node along one of the multiple re-route options by maintaining just one end-to-end connection between the primary source node and the primary destination node;
• trying to restore the SPVx connection with the primary destination node;
• and
• re-establishing the end-to-end connection through the primary source switch when the failure clears.

A system for responding to failures involving SPVx (switched-permanent virtual circuit) connections comprising:

• a primary source node;
• a primary source switch for producing an SPVx connection, the primary source node in communication with the primary source switch;
• a primary destination node;
• a primary destination switch for receiving the SPVx connection, the primary destination node in communication with the primary destination switch, the connection following a primary path between the primary source node and the primary destination node;
• an alternate source switch;
• an alternate source node in communication with the alternate source switch, the alternate source switch re-establishing automatically the connection to the primary destination node along an alternate path when the primary source switch detects a failure of the primary path, the alternate path formed by the alternate source node and the primary destination node only after the primary path experiences a failure, the primary source switch in communication with the alternate source switch to identify to the alternate source switch there is a failure in regard to the primary path, the alternate source switch re-establishes the SPVx connection from the alternate source node to the primary destination node when the primary switch fails;
• and
• a network, and wherein the alternate source switch re-establishes the SPVx connection from the primary source switch to the primary destination node through the alternate source switch and a primary portion of the alternate path through the network when a primary portion of the primary path through the network fails.

A system for responding to failures involving SPVx (switched-permanent virtual circuit) connections comprising:

• a primary source node;
• a primary source switch for producing an SPVx connection, the primary source node in communication with the primary source switch;
• a primary destination node;
• a primary destination switch for receiving the SPVx connection, the primary destination node in communication with the primary destination switch, the connection following a primary path between the primary source node and the primary destination node;
• an alternate source switch;
• an alternate source node in communication with the alternate source switch, the alternate source switch re-establishing automatically the connection to the primary destination node along an alternate path when the primary source switch detects a failure of the primary path, the alternate path formed by the alternate source node and the primary destination node only after the primary path experiences a failure, the primary source switch in communication with the alternate source switch to identify to the alternate source switch there is a failure in regard to the primary path;
• and
• a network, and wherein the alternate source switch re-establishes the SPVx connection from the alternate source switch to the primary source switch to the primary destination node through a primary portion of the primary path through the network when the primary source node fails and a primary portion of the alternate path through the network fails.

A method for responding to failures involving SPVx (switched-permanent virtual circuit) connections comprising the steps of:

• forming an SPVx connection between a primary source node and a primary destination node;
• detecting a failure on a primary path having the primary source node;
• communicating between a primary source switch in communication with the primary source node and an alternate source switch in communication with an alternate source node to identify to the alternate source switch there is a failure in regard to the primary source node;
• re-establishing automatically the SPVx connection with the alternate source node along an alternate path having the primary destination node;
• and
• re-establishing the SPVx connection from the primary source switch through the alternate source switch to the primary destination node through a primary portion of the alternate path of a network when a primary portion of the primary path through the network fails.

A method for responding to failures involving SPVx (switched-permanent virtual circuit) connections comprising the steps of:

• forming an SPVx connection between a primary source node and a primary destination node;
• detecting a failure on a primary path having the primary source node;
• communicating between a primary source switch in communication with the primary source node and an alternate source switch in communication with an alternate source node to identify to the alternate source switch there is a failure in regard to the primary source node;
• re-establishing automatically the SPVx connection with the alternate source node along an alternate path having the primary destination node;
• and
• re-establishing the SPVx connection from the alternate source switch through the primary source switch to the primary destination node through a primary portion of the primary path when the primary source fails and a primary portion of the alternate path through the network fails.

A method for responding to failures of connections in a network comprising the steps of:

• establishing a single end-to-end connection across a network between a primary source node and a primary destination node with multiple re-route options;
• experiencing a failure in the connection including the step of detecting a failure on a primary path having the primary source node;
• communicating between a primary source switch in communication with the primary source node and a alternate source switch in communication with an alternate source node to identify to the alternate source switch there is a failure in regard to the primary source node;
• and
• re-routing the connection across the network along one of the multiple re-route options by maintaining just one end-to-end connection between the primary source node and the primary destination node including the step of redirecting automatically the connection along an alternate path having the primary destination node.

A method for responding to failures of connections in a network comprising the steps of:

• establishing a single end-to-end connection across a network between a primary source node and a primary destination node with multiple re-route options;
• experiencing a failure in the connection including the step of detecting a failure on a primary path having the primary source node;
• communicating between a primary source switch in communication with the primary source node and a alternate source switch in communication with an alternate source node to identify to the alternate source switch there is a failure in regard to the primary source node;
• and
• re-routing the connection across the network along one of the multiple re-route options by maintaining just one end-to-end connection between the primary source node and the primary destination node including the step of re-establishing the connection from the alternate source switch to the primary source switch to the primary destination node through a primary portion of the primary path when the primary source node fails and a secondary portion of the alternate path through the network fails.