Nortel Networks Corporation

Dave Langridge

Gerard Leo Swinkels

Peter William Phelps

Evert E deBoer

Joseph Olajubu

Craig T Dann

In a network having working and protection paths, extra traffic is put on the protection paths when they are not being used by working traffic. In the event of a fault in a working path, the working traffic is switched to a respective protection path using a span switch operation. The extra traffic is displaced, but at least some of it is protected by switching it to an alternative path using a ring switch operation.

Data network having enhanced availability of extra traffic

The working fibre and protection fibre between pairs of nodes are shared between adjacent rings in a network, such that working traffic on the working fibre between the pair of nodes can be protected by the ring architecture of either of adjacent rings. A network management system routes signals across the network and dictates which rings within the network provide protection for the signal route. The ring structure enables protection for signal traffic on a ring to be protected by the ring protocols, providing rapid protection switching. It is also possible to select the location of protection bandwidth for a signal path across the network. In this way, protection bandwidth is shares and can also be configured to optimise the use of the total available protection bandwidth.

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Stansted, United Kingdom

Dave Langridge