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Virtual path ring protection method and apparatus

  • US 6,553,034 B2
  • Filed: 07/14/2001
  • Issued: 04/22/2003
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A Virtual Path Ring VPR protection method for Asynchronous Transfer Mode ATM traffic carried over a Synchronous Optical Network SONET Unidirectional Path Switched Ring UPSR, each ATM cell traveling along a Virtual Path VP connection from ingress to egress on the UPSR ring, said SONET UPSR including at least two SONET VPR nodes, each SONET VPR node including at least one SONET card, wherein said SONET UPSR includes at least one Synchronous Transport Signal-N STS-N, comprising:

  • directing one of said ATM cells incoming to said SONET UPSR to a destination via said VP connection; and

    protecting said VP connection by an Intra-Ring Communication protocol, said protecting step comprising;

    identifying a Bit Error Rate BER of an STS-N communication link;

    collecting statistical information on the BER of said communication link;

    comparing said statistical information to a pre-determined BER threshold; and

    when a high BER occurs on said communication link, inserting an Path Alarm Signal Indicator AIS-P onto the STS-N if the STS-N is exceeding the BER threshold and the STS-N is carrying TDM traffic; and

    notifying another SONET VPR node if the STS-N is exceeding the BER threshold and the STS-N is carrying ATM traffic.

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