Route protection in a communication network
US7380017B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 3, 2001 |
| Grant date | May 27, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 25, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L69/40
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A communications network comprises a lower transport layer and an upper overlay incorporating a plurality of routers. Adjacencies are defined between respective pairs of routers. Path protection is provided by defining a software model of the overlay of the network and defining in the model a hierarchy of protection levels for the main path. Each protection level is characterised by a respective set of one or more broken adjacencies in the model, the adjacencies to be broken being determined from a knowledge of the underlying topology. A protection level is selected and a protection path avoiding the broken adjacencies associated with that protection level is calculated. If this calculated path is not available in the real network, a lower protection level in the hierarchy is selected and the protection path calculation repeated. The process continues until a suitable protection path is identified.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.