The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 25, 2010
Filed:
Oct. 05, 2004
Ali Najib Saleh, Addison, TX (US);
Stevan E. Plote, Plano, TX (US);
Ali Najib Saleh, Addison, TX (US);
Stevan E. Plote, Plano, TX (US);
Cisco Systems, Inc., San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
A method for operating a network and a network architecture implementing the method are described. The method, in one embodiment, begins by grouping a plurality of nodes into zones, where the network includes the plurality of nodes. At least one of the nodes in each one of the zones is one of a plurality of boundary nodes, and each of the boundary nodes in each one of the zones is coupled to a boundary node in another of the zones by one of a first number of inter-zone optical links. One of the zones includes a number of nodes, each of which is coupled to at least one other of the nodes by one of a second number of intra-zone optical links. Next, a non-boundary node is configured to transmit network information to other of the nodes. The non-boundary node is a node in the zone that is not a boundary node. Finally, a boundary node in the zone is configured to limit transmission of the network information through itself to other of the boundary nodes. The network information so limited can be restoration information (in the event of a failure), network topology information, and/or other network information.