Method and system for restoring coincident line and facility failures

• US 6,233,072 B1
• Filed: 12/31/1997
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Wellbrock, Glenn, Liu, Shoa-Kai
• Primary Examiner(s): NEGASH, KINFE MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/001,884
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 359/110, 359/117, 359/128, 359/137, 370/217, 370/221, 370/242, 370/245, 370/250
• US Class Current: 398/5
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0062 Network aspects

Abstract

The system and method of the present invention provide restoration of coincident line and facility failures. The system of the present invention includes light termination equipment (LTE) that is capable of detecting failures, determining the type of component that failed, determining which restoration facility to use based on the type of component that failed, and providing restoration. The system of the present invention also includes spare capacity for restoration, including protect channels and an optical restoration network. In addition, the system of the present invention includes an optical cross connect switch (OCCS) that is capable of switching electrical signals to the optical restoration network. The method of the present invention is involves detecting a failure, determining the type of component that failed, and sending an alarm to a centralized management center.

Claims

1. A method of addressing a subsequent failure in a telecommunications network that has experienced one or more previous failures, comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting the subsequent failure;

(b) identifying a failed facility type that caused the subsequent failure;

(c) determining whether a protect channel is restoring one of the one or more previous failures; and

(d) when it is determined in step (c) that said protect channel is restoring one of the one or more previous failures, sending a notification of the subsequent failure to an optical cross connect switch controller;

wherein said notification includes said failed facility type that caused the subsequent failure.

2. A method of addressing a subsequent failure in a telecommunications network that has experienced one or more previous failures, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a notification of the subsequent failure, wherein said notification includes a failed facility type that caused the subsequent failure;

(b) determining whether the subsequent failure is restorable via an optical cross connect switch; and

(c) addressing the subsequent failure.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein step (b) comprises the steps of:

(i) determining whether said failed facility type received in said notification of the subsequent failure is a line failure; and

(ii) if it is determined in step (i) that said failed facility type is said line failure, determining that the subsequent failure is restorable via said optical cross connect switch.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein step (b) comprises the steps of:

(i) determining whether said failed facility type received in said notification of the subsequent failure is a module failure;

(ii) if it is determined in step (i) that said facility type is said module failure, determining a previous failed facility type of one of the one or more previous failures that is restored on a protect channel; and

(iii) if it is determined in step (ii) that said previous failed facility type is a line failure, determining that the subsequent failure is restorable via said protect channel.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein step (b) comprises the steps of:

(i) determining whether said failed facility type received in said notification of the subsequent failure is a module failure;

(ii) if it is determined in step (i) that said facility type is said module failure, determining a previous failed facility type of one of the one or more previous failures that is restored on one of one or more protect channels;

(iii) if it is determined in step (ii) that said previous failed facility type is said module failure and additional previous failures are restored on additional protect channels, repeat step (ii) to determine another previous failed facility type for another one of the one or more previous failures that is restored via another one of the one or more protect channels; and

(iv) if it is determined in step (iii) that said another previous failed facility type is a line failure, determining that the subsequent failure is restorable via said protect channel.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein step (b) comprises the steps of:

(i) determining whether said failed facility type received in said notification of the subsequent failure is a module failure;

(ii) if it is determined in step (i) that said facility type is said module failure, determining a previous failed facility type of one of the one or more previous failures that is restored on a protect channel;

(iii) if it is determined in step (ii) that said previous failed facility type is a module failure, determining that the subsequent failure is not restorable.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein step (b) comprises the steps of:

(i) determining whether said failed facility type received in said notification of the subsequent failure is a module failure;

(ii) if it is determined in step (i) that said facility type is said module failure, determining a previous failed facility type of one of the one or more previous failures that is restored on one of one or more protect channels;

(iii) if it is determined in step (ii) that said previous failed facility type is said module failure and additional previous failures are restored on additional protect channels, repeat step (ii) to determine another previous failed facility type for another one of the one or more previous failures that is restored via another one of the one or more protect channels; and

(iv) if it is determined in step (iii) that said another previous failed facility type is said module failure, determining that the subsequent failure is not restorable.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein step (c) comprises the step of:

restoring the subsequent failure via said optical cross connect switch.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein step (c) comprises the steps of:

restoring one of the one or more previous failures that was restored on a protect channel via said optical cross connect switch; and

restoring the subsequent failure via said protect channel.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein step (c) comprises the step of:

sending an alarm to a centralized network management center.