Error detection and reporting

A method for indicating a loss of connectivity on an incoming port, the method comprising:

• determining, by detecting a loss of link, that an Ethernet connection to a remote device has been disconnected;
• generating an alarm indicator signal (AIS) on a DS3 communications link;
• and
• upon determining that an error condition exists in the communications with the remote device:
• determining whether or not the Ethernet connection has been restored;
• and
• upon determining that the Ethernet connection has been restored, transmitting customer data on the DS3 communications link;
• wherein the DS3 communications link is coupled to an add/drop multiplexer (ADM) and the ADM separates traffic on the DS3 communications link from, and integrates onto, the Ethernet connection,
• wherein, the alarm indicator signal is generated using an M-frame of a DS-3 frame,
• wherein the M-frame has seven M-subframes, each M-subframe has 680 bits divided into blocks 1 through 8, each comprised of an overhead bit and 84 payload bits, and
• wherein, when the alarm indicator signal is generated, the overhead bit of block 1 of the first and second M-subframes is set to a logic “0”, the overhead bit of each of blocks three, five, and seven in each of the seven M-subframes is set to a logic “1”, and the 84 payload bits contained in each of the seven M-subframes are set to a repeating “10” bit pattern.

A method for indicating the loss of connectivity on an incoming port, the method comprising:

• receiving from a customer premise equipment a first communication on a first communications link, the first communications link being an Ethernet link;
• transmitting the first communication to a service edge over a second communication link, the second communication link being coupled to an add/drop multiplexer (ADM);
• receiving from the service edge a second communication on the second communications link, the second communications link being an optical DS3 communications link;
• transmitting the second communication to the customer premise equipment over the first communication link;
• determining that a loss of the first communications link has occurred;
• and
• generating an alarm signal on the second communications link;
• wherein the ADM separates traffic on the optical DS3 communications link from, and integrates onto, the Ethernet link,
• wherein, the alarm signal is generated using an M-frame of a DS-3 frame,
• wherein the M-frame has seven M-subframes, each M-subframe has 680 bits divided into blocks 1 through 8, each comprised of an overhead bit and 84 payload bits, and
• wherein, when the alarm signal is generated, the overhead bit of block 1 of the first and second M-subframes is set to a logic “0”, the overhead bit of each of blocks three, five, and seven in each of the seven M-subframes is set to a logic “1”, and the 84 payload bits contained in each of the seven M-subframes are set to a repeating “10” bit pattern.

An access device comprising:

• a processor;
• a first port configured for communicatively coupling to a customer premise equipment;
• a second port configured for communicatively coupling to an add/drop multiplexer (ADM) via a DS-3 communications link;
• and
• a processing unit configured for performing the steps:
• monitoring communications to the customer premise equipment on the first port;
• determining whether an error condition exists in the communications with the customer premise equipment on the first port;
• and
• upon determining that a loss of link exists on the first port, transmitting an alarm signal on the second port;
• wherein the communications with the customer premise equipment is via an Ethernet communications link and the ADM separates traffic on the DS-3 link from, and integrates onto, the Ethernet communications link,
• wherein, the alarm signal is generated using an M-frame of a DS-3 frame, wherein the M-frame has seven M-subframes, each M-subframe has 680 bits divided into blocks 1 through 8, each comprised of an overhead bit and 84 payload bits, and wherein, when the alarm signal is generated, the overhead bit of block 1 of the first and second M-subframes is set to a logic “0”, the overhead bit of each of blocks three, five, and seven in each of the seven M-subframes is set to a logic “1”, and the 84 payload bits contained in each of the seven M-subframes are set to a repeating “10” bit pattern.

An access device comprising:

• means, including an Ethernet communications link, for communicatively coupling to a customer premise equipment;
• means for communicatively coupling to an add/drop multiplexer (ADM) via a DS-3 communications link, wherein the ADM separates traffic on the DS-3 link from, and integrates onto, the Ethernet link;
• means for monitoring communications to the customer premise equipment on a first port;
• means for determining whether a loss of link condition exists in the communications between the customer premise equipment on the first port;
• and
• upon determining that a loss of link condition exists on the first port, means for transmitting an alarm signal to a switch on a second port,
• wherein, the alarm signal is generated using an M-frame of a DS-3 frame,
• wherein the M-frame has seven M-subframes, each M-subframe has 680 bits divided into blocks 1 through 8, each comprised of an overhead bit and 84 payload bits, and
• wherein, when the alarm signal is generated, the overhead bit of block 1 of the first and second M-subframes is set to a logic “0”, the overhead bit of each of blocks three, five, and seven in each of the seven M-subframes is set to a logic “1”, and the 84 payload bits contained in each of the seven M-subframes are set to a repeating “10” bit pattern.

A network comprising:

• one or more pieces of customer premise equipment (CPE);
• one or more demarcation devices, each of the customer premise equipment being communicatively coupled to at least one demarcation device;
• an access device communicatively coupled to the one or more demarcation devices via one or more Ethernet links, the access device being communicatively coupled to an add/drop multiplexer (ADM) via an optical DS3 communications link, and the access device being configured to generate an alarm signal on an optical link when the access device detects that the one or more Ethernet links is not functioning;
• wherein the ADM separates traffic on the DS-3 link from, and integrates onto, the one or more Ethernet links,
• wherein, the alarm signal is generated using an M-frame of a DS-3 frame,
• wherein the M-frame has seven M-subframes, each M-subframe has 680 bits divided into blocks 1 through 8, each comprised of an overhead bit and 84 payload bits, and
• wherein, when the alarm signal is generated, the overhead bit of block 1 of the first and second M-subframes is set to a logic “0”, the overhead bit of each of blocks three, five, and seven in each of the seven M-subframes is set to a logic “1”, and the 84 payload bits contained in each of the seven M-subframes are set to a repeating “10” bit pattern.