Providing ring protection for access networks

A method comprising:

• communicating, using one or more hub interfaces of a hub network element, with a plurality of access network elements of a ring network, the ring network comprising a pair of rings comprising a first ring traveling in a first direction and a second ring traveling in a second direction opposite the first direction, the hub network element managing communications to and from the ring network;
• performing, by one or more processors coupled to the one or more hub interfaces of the hub network element, the following for each access network element:
• facilitating establishing a pair of point-to-point logical connections to couple each access network element to a hub interface at a corresponding dedicated bandwidth, a first connection traveling along the first ring, a second connection traveling along the second ring;
• facilitating establishing a pair of tunnels on the pair of point-to-point connections, the pair of tunnels comprising a first tunnel and a second tunnel, the hub network element shaping traffic for the first and second tunnels;
• and
• utilizing the tunnels to protect the ring network.

An apparatus comprising:

• one or more interfaces coupled to a hub network element and at least a subset of a plurality of access network elements of a ring network, the ring network comprising a pair of rings comprising a first ring traveling in a first direction and a second ring traveling in a second direction opposite the first direction, the hub network element managing communications to and from the ring network;
• and
• one or more processors coupled to the one or more interfaces, the one or more processors operable to:
• facilitate establishing a pair of point-to-point logical connections between each access network element and the hub network element at a corresponding dedicated bandwidth, a first connection traveling along the first ring, a second connection traveling along the second ring;
• facilitate establishing a pair of tunnels on the pair of point-to-point connections, the tunnels comprising a first tunnel and a second tunnel, the hub network element shaping traffic for the first and second tunnels;
• and
• utilize the tunnels to protect the ring network.

A method comprising:

• communicating, using one or more interfaces, with a hub network element and at least a subset of a plurality of access network elements of a ring network, the ring network comprising a pair of rings comprising a first ring traveling in a first direction and a second ring traveling in a second direction opposite the first direction, the hub network element managing communications to and from the ring network;
• and
• performing, by one or more processors coupled to the one or more interfaces, the following:
• facilitating establishing a pair of point-to-point logical connections between each access network element and the hub network element at a corresponding dedicated bandwidth, a first connection traveling along the first ring, a second connection traveling along the second ring;
• facilitating establishing a pair of tunnels on the pair of point-to-point connections, the tunnels comprising a first tunnel and a second tunnel, the hub network element shaping traffic for the first and second tunnels;
• and
• utilizing the tunnels to protect the ring network.