Granted Patent B1

US 7,512,060 · App. 11/015,967 · Granted Mar 31, 2009

Abstract

Claims (45)

1. A method implemented by a networked device for restoring network connections subsequent to a transport channel failure in a high speed communication system using a plurality of connection maps establishing connections between elements in the high speed communication system, the method comprising:

detecting health codes communicated from network elements;

analyzing detected health codes to measure and determine transport channel health;

determining a reprovisioning of connection maps within a repairing element in the high speed communication network in response to the analyzing; and

communicating re-provisioned connection maps to the repairing element.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the reprovisioning comprises employing decision-making processing to restore any failed connections.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the decision making processing is user programmable.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising evaluating protocols carried in transport overhead bytes to further determine transport channel health, wherein said evaluating is subsequent to said analyzing.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising filtering detected health codes at the repairing network element.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the filtering operates according to user-programmable configurations.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said detected health codes are communicated by inserting these detected health codes into unused overhead bytes within a transport frame.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said analyzing identifies a healthiest transport channel form a plurality of available transport channels.

9. An apparatus for restoring connections in a communication network upon a transport channel failure using re-provisioned connection maps, comprising:

a preprocessing arrangement configured to receive and store health codes reported by detecting network elements; and

a processor configured to analyze health codes of at least one transport channel, determine a correction procedure for any failed connection associated with at least one transport channel exhibiting at least one unsatisfactory health code, and create a reprovisioning scheme reprovisioning appropriate connection maps based on the correction procedure; and

a transmitter configured to communicate the reprovisioning scheme to a repairing element.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor analyzes health using user programmable configurations.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the preprocessor is further configured to filter health codes.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said processor is further configured to compute implementation-dependent connection graphs using state information.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said processor is further configured to compute implementation-dependent connection graphs using history information.

14. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein said processor may be pre-provisioned with standard restoration schemes.

15. A method implemented by a networked device for restoring connections upon a transport channel failure in a communication network, the method comprising:

comparing health codes received from a plurality of protection switching layers enabling restoration of communication using cascaded restoration schemes, said comparing resulting in at least one health code for at least one transport channel;

determining a restoration scheme based on the at least one health code for at least one transport channel; and

communicating the restoration scheme to a repairing element within the communication network, wherein the restoration scheme includes a re-provisioned connection map establishing at least one new connection between network elements.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein invoking the restoration scheme comprises employing decision-making processing to restore any failed connections.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the decision making processing is user programmable.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising evaluating protocols carried in transport overhead bytes to determine transport channel health, wherein said evaluating is prior to said comparing.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising filtering health codes prior to said comparing.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the filtering operates according to user-programmable configurations.

21. The method of claim 15 , further comprising communicating health codes subsequent to said invoking by inserting health codes into unused overhead bytes within a transport frame.

22. A system comprising:

at least one network element configured to generate heath codes;

at least one line card comprising:

a framer, and

a controller comprising:

a preprocessing arrangement configured to receive and store health codes reported by detecting network elements;

a processor configured to analyze health codes of at least one transport channel, determine a correction procedure for any failed connection associated with at least one transport channel exhibiting at least one unsatisfactory health code, and create a reprovisioning scheme reprovisioning appropriate connection maps based on the correction procedure; and

a transmitter configured to communicate the re-provisioning scheme to a repairing element; and

a fabric configured to provide intercommunication between the line card and at least one network element.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the fabric is compatible with TFI-5.

24. The system of claim 22 , wherein the fabric is compatible with CSIX.

25. The system of claim 22 , wherein the line card is capable of providing an interface for a Fibre Channel compatible network.

26. The system of claim 22 , wherein the line card is capable of providing an interface for an Ethernet compatible network.

27. The system of claim 22 , wherein the line card is capable for performing add-drop multiplexing.

Assignments (9)