Protection switching in radio networks

1. A method for protection switching in radio networks, comprising:

establishing a primary path and a protection path for Layer-2 (L2) communication between a first node and a second node, the primary path comprising two links successively connected by a relay node, and at least one of the links is a wireless link;

assigning a first L2 Virtual Circuit (VC) to the primary path, and a second L2 VC to the protection path;

mapping, by the first node, a first class of service (CoS) and a second CoS to the first L2 VC;

transporting L2 packets associated with the first CoS and the second CoS, from the first node to the second node, via the primary path;

detecting, by a node associated with the wireless link, a reduction in performance of the wireless link; and,

as a reaction to the detection, re-mapping the second CoS to the second L2 VC, by the first node, in order to transport packets associated with the second CoS to the second node via the protection path, while still transporting packets associated with the first CoS to the second node via the primary path.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the L2 VC are Ethernet Virtual Circuits, and the L2 packets are Ethernet packets.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the Ethernet Virtual Circuits are Virtual Local Area Networks (VLAN).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first CoS has a higher priority as compared to the second CoS, the reduction in performance still allows packets associated with the first CoS to be transported via the primary path, and as a result of the re-mapping action, the wireless link is cleared from packets associated with the less prioritized second CoS.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reporting the detection, by a node associated with the wireless link, to the first node, using standard Connectivity Fault Management (CFM) signaling.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the CFM signaling is an Alarm Indication Signal, the Alarm Indication Signal is associated with the second CoS, and the Alarm Indication Signal is sent over the primary path.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

reporting the detection, by the node associated with the wireless link, to a network management entity; and

instructing the first node, by the network management entity, to re-map the second CoS to the second L2 VC.

8. A method for protection switching in radio networks, comprising:

establishing a primary path for Layer-2 (L2) communication between a plurality of nodes, by linking the nodes in succession to each-other; the nodes forming a line topology network, and at least one of the links is a wireless link;

protecting the primary path, by establishing a protection path for L2 communication between one of the nodes located before the wireless link and one of the nodes located after the wireless link;

assigning a first L2 Virtual Circuit (VC) to the primary path and a second L2 VC to the protection path;

mapping, by the nodes, a first class of service (CoS) and a second CoS to the first L2 VC, and transporting L2 packets, associated with the two CoS, through the primary path;

detecting a performance reduction in the wireless link; and

offloading packets associated with the second CoS from the wireless link, by re-mapping, by the one of the nodes located before the wireless link, the second CoS to the second L2 VC, such that L2 packets associated with the second CoS are now transported via the protection path, while L2 packets associated with the first CoS are still transported via the primary path.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the protection path is established using a direct wireless link or successive wireless links.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the protection path is established using at least one wired links.

11. A method for protection switching in radio networks, comprising:

calculating one primary spanning tree and at least one protection spanning tree for an Ethernet network comprising a plurality of nodes interconnected by links carrying Layer-2 (L2) communication, the primary spanning tree comprising at least one wireless link interconnecting two of the nodes;

assigning a first Virtual Local Area Networks (VLAN) to the primary spanning tree, and a distinct VLAN to each of the protection spanning trees;

mapping, by the nodes, a first class of service (CoS) and a second CoS to the first VLAN, and transporting Ethernet packets associated with the two CoS, through the primary spanning tree; and, upon detection of a reduction in performance of the wireless link,

offloading packets from the wireless link, by re-mapping the second CoS to one of the distinct VLANs assigned to one of the protection spanning trees not comprising the wireless link, such that Ethernet packets associated with the second CoS are now transported via one of the protection spanning trees, while Ethernet packets associated with the first CoS are still transported via the primary spanning tree.

12. A system for protection switching in radio networks, comprising:

a plurality of nodes;

a plurality of links of Ethernet, interconnecting the nodes, and forming a network;

at least one wireless link, interconnecting two of the nodes; and

first and second Virtual Local Area Networks (VLAN) within the network, wherein only the first VLAN comprising the wireless link;

the network configured to transport packets of Ethernet associated with a first Classes of Service (CoS) and a second CoS via the first VLAN;

upon detection of a reduction in performance of the wireless link, the network is further configured to map the second CoS to the second VLAN, and by that offloading traffic associated with the second CoS from the wireless link, such that Ethernet packets associated with the second CoS are now transported via the second VLAN, while Ethernet packets associated with the first CoS are still transported via the first VLAN.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first CoS has a higher priority as compared to the second CoS, the reduction in performance still allows packets associated with the first CoS to be transported via primary path, and as a result of the map of the second CoS to the second VLAN, the wireless link is cleared from packets associated with the second CoS.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the two nodes connected by the wireless link is configured to perform the detection, and to reported the detection to nodes of the network using standard Connectivity Fault Management (CFM) signaling.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the CFM signaling is an Alarm Indication Signal, the Alarm Indication Signal is associated with the second CoS, and the Alarm Indication Signal is sent over the first VLAN.

16. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a network management entity, wherein a node associated with the wireless link is configured to report the detection to the network management entity, and the network management entity is configured to report the detection to nodes of the network.