Link-level protection of traffic in a packet-switched network
US6901048B1 · kind B1 · utility
63Cited by
7References
36Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 26, 2000 |
| Grant date | May 31, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 4, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L45/03
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In a packet-switched network having a plurality of nodes interconnected by links, pre-defined protection paths provide protection of a selected plurality of links. Adjacent nodes connected by a protected link are adapted to detect a failure of the protected link, to encapsulate packets within tunnel packets, to differentiate between tunnel packets and non-tunnel packets and to exchange the tunnel packets via a protection path rather than via the failed link. This results in faster automatic protection switching of packet-based traffic. The invention is particularly suited to an Internet Protocol network.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.