Variable priority of network connections for preemptive protection

An apparatus comprising:

• a network interface configured to communicate over a network;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• determine a priority for each of a plurality of network connections to the network provisioned to communicate over a communications link based on a corresponding predetermined downtime;
• detect a failure in the communications link at a point in time T;
• calculate an actual downtime for each of the plurality of network connections from an amount of outage which has occurred during a predetermined period of time up to the time T;
• calculate an allowed downtime for each of the plurality of network connections from a permitted amount of outage over the predetermined period of time;
• calculate an expected downtime for each of the plurality of network connections from an amount of outage expected from the time T to an end of the predetermined period of time;
• protect the plurality of network connections from the failure in the communications link according to the determined priority for each of the network connections, wherein a network connection with a higher priority preempts a connection with a lower priority;
• and
• update the priority for each of the plurality of network connections based on a time since calculating the actual downtime and the allowed downtime so as to increase the priority for each of the plurality of network connections as the actual downtime approaches the allowed downtime for each of the network connections.

A computer readable memory storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

• determine a priority for each of a plurality of network connections provisioned to communicate over a communications link based on a corresponding predetermined downtime;
• detect a failure in the communications link at a point in time T;
• calculate an actual downtime for each of the plurality of network connections from an amount of outage which has occurred during a predetermined period of time up to the time T;
• calculate an allowed downtime for each of the plurality of network connections from a permitted amount of outage over the predetermined period of time;
• calculated an expected downtime for each of the plurality of network connections from an amount of outage expected from time T to an end of the predetermined period of time;
• protect the plurality of network connections from the failure in the communications link according to the determined priority for each of the network connections, wherein a network connection with a higher priority preempts a connection with a lower priority;
• and
• update the priority for each of the plurality of network connections based on a time since calculating the actual downtime and the allowed downtime so as to increase the priority for each of the plurality of network connections as the actual downtime approaches the allowed downtime for each of the network connections.