Protection switching in a communications network employing label switching
First Claim
1. A method of protection switching for use in a communications system including a source node, a sink node, a first communications path configured to interconnect the source and sink nodes, and a second communications path configured to interconnect the source and sink nodes, comprising the steps of:
- receiving at least one first incoming data unit and at least one second incoming data unit at the source node, the at least one first incoming data unit and the at least one second incoming data unit having a first label and a second label, respectively, associated therewith;
determining whether the first communications path is in a predetermined state;
in the event the first communications path is in the predetermined state, identifying the at least one first and second incoming data units for transmission over the first and second communications paths based upon the respective first and second labels, and sending first outgoing data corresponding to the at least one first incoming data unit from the source node to the sink node over the first communications path, and sending second outgoing data corresponding to the at least one second incoming data unit from the source node to the sink node over the second communications path; and
in the event the first communications path is not in the predetermined state, identifying the at least one first incoming data unit and at least some of the second incoming data units for transmission over the second communications path based upon the respective first and second labels, merging the identified first and second incoming data units, associating a first common label with the merged first and second incoming data units, and sending third outgoing data corresponding to the merged first and second incoming data units along with the associated first common label from the source node to the sink node over the second communications path.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method of protection switching in a communications network that makes more efficient use of resources in the network and reduces the loss of data traffic carried by the network. The communications network includes an established working path and an established protect path interconnecting a source node and a sink node. The source node and the sink node are configured to perform label switching on the network. The source node receives primary data traffic and secondary data traffic over one or more communications paths. In a fault-free condition, the source node sends the primary data traffic over the working path to the sink node, and sends the secondary data traffic over the protect path to the sink node. In the event of a fault or switchover condition in the working path, the source node performs traffic trunk and label merging on the primary and secondary traffic, and sends the merged traffic over the protect path to the sink node.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of protection switching for use in a communications system including a source node, a sink node, a first communications path configured to interconnect the source and sink nodes, and a second communications path configured to interconnect the source and sink nodes, comprising the steps of:
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receiving at least one first incoming data unit and at least one second incoming data unit at the source node, the at least one first incoming data unit and the at least one second incoming data unit having a first label and a second label, respectively, associated therewith; determining whether the first communications path is in a predetermined state; in the event the first communications path is in the predetermined state, identifying the at least one first and second incoming data units for transmission over the first and second communications paths based upon the respective first and second labels, and sending first outgoing data corresponding to the at least one first incoming data unit from the source node to the sink node over the first communications path, and sending second outgoing data corresponding to the at least one second incoming data unit from the source node to the sink node over the second communications path; and in the event the first communications path is not in the predetermined state, identifying the at least one first incoming data unit and at least some of the second incoming data units for transmission over the second communications path based upon the respective first and second labels, merging the identified first and second incoming data units, associating a first common label with the merged first and second incoming data units, and sending third outgoing data corresponding to the merged first and second incoming data units along with the associated first common label from the source node to the sink node over the second communications path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of protection switching for use in a communications system including a source node, a sink node, a first communications path configured to interconnect the source and sink nodes, and a second communications path configured to interconnect the source and sink nodes, comprising the steps of:
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receiving at least one first incoming data unit and at least one second incoming data unit at the source node, the at least one first incoming data unit and the at least one second incoming data unit having a first label and a second label, respectively, associated therewith; determining whether the first communications path is in a predetermined state; in the event the first communications path is in the predetermined state, identifying the at least one first and second incoming data units for transmission over the first and second communications paths based upon the respective first and second labels, and sending first outgoing data corresponding to the at least one first incoming data unit from the source node to the sink node over the first communications path, and sending second outgoing data corresponding to the at least one second incoming data unit from the source node to the sink node over the second communications path; in the event the first communications path is not in the predetermined state, identifying the at least one first incoming data unit and at least some of the second incoming data units for transmission over the second communications path based upon the respective first and second labels, associating a first common label with the first and second outgoing data, respectively, and sending the first outgoing data and at least some of the second outgoing data along with the associated first common label from the source node to the sink node over the second communications path; and in the event the first communications path is in the predetermined state, associating a third label with the first outgoing data before sending the first outgoing data from the source node to the sink node over the first communications path, and associating a fourth label with the second outgoing data before sending the second outgoing data from the source node to the sink node over the second communications path. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A method of protection switching for use in a communications system including a source node, a sink node, a first communications path configured to interconnect the source and sink nodes, and a second communications path configured to interconnect the source and sink nodes, comprising the steps of:
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receiving at least one first incoming data unit and at least one second incoming data unit at the source node, the at least one first incoming data unit and the at least one second incoming data unit having a first label and a second label, respectively, associated therewith; determining whether the first communications path is in a predetermined state; in the event the first communications path is in the predetermined state, identifying the at least one first and second incoming data units for transmission over the first and second communications paths based upon the respective first and second labels, and sending first outgoing data corresponding to the at least one first incoming data unit from the source node to the sink node over the first communications path, and sending second outgoing data corresponding to the at least one second incoming data unit from the source node to the sink node over the second communications path; in the event the first communications path is not in the predetermined state, identifying the at least one first incoming data unit and at least some of the second incoming data units for transmission over the second communications path based upon the respective first and second labels, associating a first common label with the first and second outgoing data, respectively, and sending the first outgoing data and at least some of the second outgoing data along with the associated first common label from the source node to the sink node over the second communications path, and in the event the step of sending the first and second outgoing data along with the associated common label over the second communications path causes traffic congestion on the second communications path, establishing an alternate communications path configured to interconnect the source and sink nodes, and sending a selected one of the first and second outgoing data from the source node to the sink node over the alternate communications path while sending the other outgoing data from the source node to the sink node over the second communications path.
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12. A communications system configured to provide protection switching, comprising:
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a source node configured to receive at least one first incoming data unit and at least one second incoming data unit, the at least one first Incoming data unit and the at least one second incoming data unit having a first label and a second label, respectively, associated therewith; a sink node; a first communications path configured to interconnect the source and sink nodes, the first path including at least one node; and a second communications path configured to interconnect the source and sink nodes, wherein the at least one node included in the first path and the sink node are configurable to determined whether the first path is in a predetermined state, wherein, in the event the first path is in the predetermined state, the source node is further configured to identify the at least one first and second incoming data units for transmission over the first and second paths based upon the respective first and second labels, to send first outgoing data corresponding to the at least one first incoming data unit from the source node to the sink node over the first path, and to send second outgoing data corresponding to the at least one second incoming data unit from the source node to the sink node over the second path, and wherein, in the event the first path is not in the predetermined state, the source node is further configured to identify the at least one first and second incoming data units for transmission over the second path based upon the respective first and second labels, to merge the identified first and second incoming data units, to associate a common label with the merged first and second incoming data units, and to send third outgoing data corresponding to the merged first and second incoming data units along with the associated common label from the source node to the sink node over the second path. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification