Terminal relay device and relay method

A terminal relay device connected to a network including a first ring transmission path having a working traffic transmission path in a first direction and a protection traffic transmission path in the first direction, and a second ring transmission path having a working traffic transmission path in a second direction and a protection traffic transmission path in the second direction, said relay device comprising:

• a cross-connect processing circuit executing a cross-connect process of a communication channel on the network;
• a first transmission switchover unit switching over a working traffic transmission path from the first direction and a protection traffic transmission path from the second direction that serves as a substitute transmission path for said working traffic transmission path on a receiving side from the network with respect to said cross-connect processing circuit;
• and
• a second transmission switchover unit switching over a working traffic transmission path toward the first direction and a protection traffic transmission path toward the second direction that serves as a substitute transmission path for said working traffic transmission path on a transmitting side toward the network with respect to said cross-connect processing circuit,
• said first transmission path switchover unit including:
• channel information detecting unit detecting channel information distinguishing each communication channel among communication channels included in said working traffic transmission path;
• channel identifying unit identifying, based on the channel information, a communication channel contained in said protection traffic transmission path, which corresponds to the communication channel used in said working traffic transmission path;
• and
• a switch unit switching over the communication channel of said working traffic transmission path to the communication channel of said protection traffic transmission path, which is identified based on said channel identifying unit.

A terminal relay device comprising:

• a cross-connect processing circuit executing a cross-connect process including line setting on a network;
• and
• a control circuit controlling said cross-connect processing circuit,
• said control circuit including:
• a control transmission path including a plurality of channels corresponding to transmission paths of the network;
• a switchover unit switching over said channel in said control transmission path;
• a setting unit setting, in said cross-connect processing circuit, a corresponding relation between a channel after being switched over by said switchover unit and a channel before being switched over by said switchover unit;
• and
• an identifying information generation unit generating a piece of identifying information for identifying said channel, and inputting the identifying information to a corresponding channel of said control transmission path;
• wherein said control transmission path includes a first control transmission path including a plurality of channels corresponding to working traffic transmission paths included in the network, and a second control transmission path serving as a substitute transmission path for said first control transmission path, corresponding to protection traffic transmission path included in the network, and
• said switchover unit switches over said channel between said first control transmission path and said second control transmission path based on the identifying information.

A relay method in a network including a first ring transmission path having a working traffic transmission path in a first direction and a protection traffic transmission path in the first direction, and a second ring transmission path having a working traffic transmission path in a second direction and a protection traffic transmission path in the second direction, the network including a cross-connect processing circuit executing a cross-connect process of a communication channel on the network, said method comprising:

• a first switchover step switching over a working traffic transmission path from the first direction and a protection traffic transmission path from the second direction that serves as a substitute transmission path for said working traffic transmission path on a receiving side from the network with respect to said cross-connect processing circuit;
• and
• a second switchover step switching over a working traffic transmission path toward the first direction and a protection traffic transmission path toward the second direction that serves as a substitute transmission path for said working traffic transmission path on a transmitting side toward the network with respect to said cross-connect processing circuit,
• said first switchover step including:
• a channel information detecting step detecting channel information distinguishing each communication channel among communication channels included in said working traffic transmission path;
• a step retaining the channel information;
• a communication channel identifying step identifying, based on the channel information, a communication channel contained in said protection traffic transmission path, which corresponds to the communication channel used in said working traffic transmission path;
• and
• a step switching over the communication channel of said working traffic transmission path to the communication channel of said protection traffic transmission path, which is identified based on said channel information.