Shared mesh signaling method and apparatus

1. In a mesh network, a network element for providing protection switching in a 1:N shared mesh protection scheme having a first protection path associated with N working paths, where N is an integer greater than 0, the network element comprising:

a link connecting the network element to a first working path of the N working paths in a path layer of the network, the path layer including a plurality of interconnected network elements;

a routing table accessible by the network element, the routing table having local protection channel information associated with a local protection segment of a protection path associated with the first working path in the path layer of the network, the local protection segment being diverse from the working path, the protection channel information including a listing of a plurality of local protection channels associated with the local protection segment;

an identification module for using the local protection channel information to identify an available protection channel on the local protection segment in the event of failure of the first working path, the identification module including a channel selection function to select a portion of the available protection channels from the listing, the portion selected to match a bandwidth requirement of the failed working path; and

wherein the network element is responsive to path layer overhead bytes of frames transmitted through the network, to switch local network bandwidth between the working path and the available protection channel.

2. In a mesh network, a method for providing protection switching in a 1:N shared mesh protection scheme having a first protection path associated with N working paths, where N is an integer greater than 0, the method comprising the steps of:

interconnecting a network element to a first working path of the N working paths in a path layer of the network, the path layer including a plurality of interconnected network elements;

defining a routing table accessible by the network element, the routing table having local protection channel information associated with a local protection segment of a protection path associated with the first working path in the path layer of the network, the local protection segment being diverse from the working path;

identifying by the network element a failure of the first working path, based on path layer overhead bytes of frames transmitted through the network;

using the local protection channel information by the network element to identify an available protection channel on the local protection segment, the local protection channel information including a listing of a plurality of local protection channels associated with the local protection segment, identifying available protection channel including selecting a portion of the available protection channels from the listing, the portion being selected to match a bandwidth requirement of the failed local working path; and

switching local network bandwidth from the failed working path to the available protection channel on the local protection segment.

3. In a mesh network, a computer program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium for providing protection switching in a 1:N shared mesh protection scheme having a first protection path associated N working paths, where N is an integer greater than 0, the product comprising:

a first link module stored on the computer readable medium for connecting a network element to a first working path of the N working paths in a path layer of the network, the path layer including a plurality of interconnected network elements;

a routing module stored on the computer readable medium and accessible by the network element, the routing module for storing local protection channel information associated with a local protection segment of a protection path associated with the first working path in the path layer of the network, the local protection segment being diverse from the working path, the protection channel information including a listing of a plurality of local protection channels associated with the local protection segment; and

an identification module coupled to the routing module, the identification module for using the local protection channel information to identify an available protection channel on the local protection segment in the event of failure of the first working path, the identification module including a channel selection function to select a portion of the available protection channels from the listing, the portion selected to match a bandwidth requirement of the failed working path; and

wherein the product is responsive to path layer overhead bytes of frames transmitted through the network, to switch local network bandwidth between the working path and the available protection channel.

4. The computer program product according to claim 3 further comprising a scheme selection function of the identification module to select the first protection path after confirming the local protection segment is not available for switching the local network bandwidth.

5. The computer program product according to claim 4 wherein the routing module includes protection routing information associated with the first protection path and N working paths.

6. In a mesh network, a network element for providing protection switching in a 1:N shared mesh protection scheme having a first protection path associated with N working paths, where N is an integer greater than 0, the network element comprising:

a means for connecting the network element to a first working path of the N working paths in a path layer of the network, the path layer including a plurality of interconnected network elements;

a routing means for having local protection channel information associated with a local protection segment of a protection path associated with the first working path, the local protection segment being diverse from the working path, the protection channel information including a listing of a plurality of local protection channels associated with the local protection segment;

an identification means for using the local protection channel information to identify an available protection channel on the local protection segment in the event of failure of the first working path, the identification means including a channel selection function to select a portion of the available protection channels from the listing, the portion selected to match a bandwidth requirement of the failed first working path; and

means responsive to path layer overhead bytes of frames transmitted through the network, to switch local network bandwidth between the working path and the available protection channel.

7. The network element according to claim 6 further comprising a scheme selection function of the identification means to select the first protection path after confirming the local protection segment is not available for switching the local network bandwidth.

8. The network element according to claim 7 wherein the routing means includes protection routing information associated with the first protection path and N working paths.

9. In a mesh network, a method for providing protection switching in a 1:N shared mesh protection scheme having a first protection path associated with N working paths, where N is an integer greater than 0, the method comprising the steps of:

interconnecting a network element to a first working path of the N working paths in a path layer of the network, the path layer including a plurality of interconnected network elements;

defining a routing table accessible by the network element to provide a local protection segment for connecting the network element and one of the interconnected network elements adjacent to the network element;

identifying a failure of the first working path based on path layer overhead bytes of frames transmitted through the network;

using local protection channel information to identify an available protection channel on the local protection segment, the local protection channel information including a listing of a plurality of local protection channels associated with the local protection segment, identifying available protection channel including selecting a portion of the available protection channels from the listing, the portion being selected to match a bandwidth requirement of the failed local working path; and

switching local network bandwidth to the available local protection channel on the local protection segment.

10. The method according to claim 9 further comprising a scheme selection function of the identification module to select the first protection path after confirming the local protection segment is not available for switching the local network bandwidth.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the routing table includes protection routing information associated with the first protection path and N working paths.