Inventors:
Santhanam Srivivasan - Holmdel NJ, US
Sasisekharan Raguram - Hillsborough NJ, US
Pradeep Shrikrishna Limaye - Westfield NJ, US
Assignee:
Bay Microsystems, Inc. - San Jose CA
International Classification:
G06F 11/00
US Classification:
370223, 3702411, 370242, 370247, 370248, 370249, 370251
Abstract:
A mesh network architecture is disclosed whose protected services can be restored quickly after the failure of a network element (i. e. , a network node, a network transmission facility). Furthermore, the protected services can be restored after all single and most multiple network-element failures as quickly as a ring network can recover from a single network-element failure. And still furthermore, the illustrative embodiment is also advantageous in that it can be administered and maintained, for most purposes, as a collection of distinct ring networks. Embodiments of the present invention can use any protocol or transmission technology (e. g. , wavelength division multiplexing, SONET/SDH, ATM, etc. ). Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention distinguish between the transport function, the provisioning function, and the fault notification functions of a network and provide that each of the functions can be accomplished by different networks using different protocols.