Cisco Technology, Inc.

Tony Bates

Hon Wah Chin

Feisal Y Daruwalla

David J Tsiang

George Suwala

The present invention provides a protection protocol for fault recovery, such as a ring wrap, for a network, such as a two line bi-directional ring network. An embodiment of the present invention works in conjunction with a ring topology network in which a node in the network can identify a problem with a connection between the node and a first neighbor. The present invention provides 1 protection protocol which simplifies the coordination required by the nodes in a ring network. The nodes do not need to maintain a topology map of the ring, identifying and locating each node on the ring, for effective protection. Additionally, independently operating ring networks can be merged and the protection protocol will appropriately remove a protection, such as a ring wrap, to allow the formation of a single ring. It also provides for multiple levels of protection priority so that protection for a high priority failure, such as a physical break in a connection, would remove protection for a low priority failure, such as signal degrade, on another link.

System and method for fault recovery for a two line bi-directional ring network

The present invention provides a protection protocol for fault recovery, such as a ring wrap, for a network, such as a two line bi-directional ring network. An embodiment of the present invention works in conjunction with a ring topology network in which a node in the network can identify a problem with a connection between the node and a first neighbor. The present invention provides a protection protocol which simplifies the coordination required by the nodes in a ring network. The nodes do not need to maintain a topology map of the ring, identifying and locating each node on the ring, for effective protection. Additionally, independently operating ring networks can be merged and the protection protocol will appropriately remove a protection, such as a ring wrap, to allow the formation of a single ring. It also provides for multiple levels of protection priority so that protection for a high priority failure, such as a physical break in a connection, would remove protection for a low priority failure, such as a signal degrade, on another link.

System and method for fault recovery for two line bi-directional ring network

The present invention provides a protection protocol for fault recovery, such as a ring wrap, for a network, such as a two line bidirectional ring network. An embodiment of the present invention works in conjunction with a ring topology network in which a node in the network can identify a problem with a connection between the node and a first neighbor. The present invention provides a protection protocol which simplifies the coordination required by the nodes in a ring network. The nodes do not need to maintain a topology map of the ring, identifying and locating each node on the ring, for effective protection. Additionally, independently operating ring networks can be merged and the protection protocol will appropriately remove a protection, such as a ring wrap, to allow the formation of a single ring. It also provides for multiple levels of protection priority so that protection for a high priority failure, such as a physical break in a connection, would remove protection for a low priority failure, such as a signal degrade, on another link.

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Redwood City, CA, United States of America

Tony Bates