Method and apparatus for a hybrid variable rate pipe

1. A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a set of processors, cause said set of processors to perform operations comprising:

transmitting a first set of traffic at a first rate on a first span of an optical ring;

transmitting a second set of traffic at the first rate on a second span of the optical ring;

reducing transmission of the first set of traffic to a second rate while there is a failure on the second span;

switching the second set of traffic to the first span;

transmitting the second set of traffic at a third rate while there is a failure on the second span; and

wherein the first set of traffic is transmitted in a non-contiguous set of physical channels and the first set of traffic is fractionally concatenated.

2. The machine-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the first and second set of traffic are transmitted in a non-BLSR protected layer 2/3 channel, a segment of a working channel, and at least a segment of a protection channel.

3. The machine-readable medium of claim 1 wherein switching the second set of traffic is performed with BLSR automatic protection switching.

4. The machine-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the first set of traffic is transmitted in a contiguous set of physical channels.

5. The machine-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the first set of traffic is transmitted in a non-contiguous set of physical channels.

6. A computer implemented method comprising:

transmitting a first set of traffic at a first rate on a first span of an optical ring;

transmitting a second set of traffic at the first rate on a second span of the optical ring;

reducing transmission of the first set of traffic to a second rate while there is a failure on the second span;

switching the second set of traffic to the first span;

transmitting the second set of traffic at a third rate while there is a failure on the second span; and

wherein the first set of traffic is transmitted in a non-contiguous set of physical channels and the first set of traffic is fractionally concatenated.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6 wherein the first and second set of traffic are transmitted in a non-BLSR protected layer 2/3 channel, a segment of a working channel, and at least a segment of a protection channel.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 6 wherein switching the second set of traffic is performed with BLSR automatic protection switching.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 6 wherein the first set of traffic is transmitted in a contiguous set of physical channels.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 6 wherein the first set of traffic is transmitted in a non-contiguous set of physical channels.