Method and system for monitoring an optical network

A system for monitoring an optical network, comprising:

• an optical network comprising a plurality of network elements coupled together by optical lines;
• the optical network operable to communicate optical traffic along a working path of the optical network;
• the optical network comprising a protection path for the optical traffic to communicate the optical traffic upon a failure in the working path;
• the protection path comprising two or more of the plurality of network elements and the optical lines coupling together the two or more of the plurality of the network elements;
• and
• an error detection unit associated with the optical network, the error detection unit operable, while optical traffic is being communicated along the working path, to monitor an idle signal of the protection path to detect an error in the protection path comprising an error in a component of the two or more of the plurality of network elements.

Logic for monitoring an optical network, the logic encoded in a computer-readable medium and operable when executed to perform the steps of:

• communicating optical traffic along a working path of an optical network;
• the optical network comprising a protection path for the optical traffic to communicate the optical traffic upon a failure in the working path;
• the protection path comprising two or more network elements coupled together by optical lines;
• and
• while communicating optical traffic along the working path, monitoring an idle signal of the protection path to detect an error in the protection path comprising an error in a component of or more of the network elements.

A method for monitoring an optical network, comprising:

• communicating optical traffic along a working path of an optical network;
• the optical network comprising a protection path for the optical traffic to communicate the optical traffic upon a failure in the working path;
• the protection path comprising two or more network elements coupled together by optical lines;
• while communicating optical traffic along the working path, monitoring an idle signal of the protection path to detect an error in the protection path comprising an error in a backplane, an interface unit or a switch fabric unit of one or more of the network elements;
• generating an alarm upon detection of an error in the protection path;
• and
• the error comprising one or more of a bit error rate error, a loss of pointer-path error or an alarm indication signal-path error.