JOINT NEAR-END AND FAR-END STATE MACHINE FOR SERVICE PROTECTION NETWORKS

1 . A method for telecommunications, comprising:

determining the operational state of a first network switch;

determining the operational state of a second network switch, the second network switch coupled to the first network switch by a protected path;

determining the existence of an actionable condition;

accessing information on the first switch by referencing the operational state of the first network switch, the operational state of the second network switch, and the actionable condition; and

changing the operational state of the first switch based upon the information associated with the operational state of the first network switch, operational state of the second network switch, and the actionable condition.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein accessing information on the first switch further comprises accessing a table containing the information, the table indexed by at least the operational states of the first network switch and the second network switch.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining the revertive mode of the first network switch; and

determining the revertive mode of the second network switch;

wherein:

accessing the information further comprises referencing the revertive mode of the first network switch and the revertive mode of the second switch; and

changing the operational state of the first switch is further based upon the revertive mode of the first network switch and the revertive mode of the second network switch.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein changing the operational state of the first network switch comprises changing the revertive configuration of the first network switch.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the revertive configuration of the first network switch is changed if the revertive configuration of the first network switch and the revertive configuration of the second network switch are not the same.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the operational state comprises a state defined in G.8031.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising setting a standing condition based upon the information associated with the operational state of the first network switch, operational state of the second network switch, and the actionable condition.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising moving user traffic between a protect path and a working path based upon the information associated with the operational state of the first network switch, operational state of the second network switch, and the actionable condition.

9 . An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

computer-executable instructions carried on the computer readable medium, the instructions readable by a processor, the instructions, when read and executed, for causing the processor to:

determine the operational state of a first network switch;

determine the operational state of a second network switch, the second network switch coupled to the first network switch by a protected path;

determine the existence of an actionable condition;

access information on the first network switch by referencing the operational state of the first network switch, the operational state of the second network switch, and the actionable condition; and

change the operational state of the first switch based upon the information associated with the operational state of the first network switch, operational state of the second network switch, and the actionable condition.

10 . The article of claim 9 , wherein accessing information on the first switch further comprises accessing a table containing the information, the table indexed by at least the operational states of the first network switch and the second network switch.

11 . The article of claim 9 , further comprising causing the processor to:

determine the revertive mode of the first network switch; and

determine the revertive mode of the second network switch;

wherein:

accessing the information further comprises referencing the revertive mode of the first network switch and the revertive mode of the second switch; and

changing the operational state of the first switch is further based upon the revertive mode of the first network switch and the revertive mode of the second network switch.

12 . The article of claim 9 , wherein changing the operational state of the first network switch comprises changing the revertive configuration of the first network switch.

13 . The article of claim 12 , wherein the revertive configuration of the first network switch is changed if the revertive configuration of the first network switch and the revertive configuration of the second network switch are not the same.

14 . The article of claim 9 , wherein the operational state comprises a state defined in G.8031.

15 . The article of claim 9 , further comprising causing the processor to set a standing condition based upon the information associated with the operational state of the first network switch, operational state of the second network switch, and the actionable condition.

16 . The article of claim 9 , further comprising causing the processor to move user traffic between a protect path and a working path based upon the information associated with the operational state of the first network switch, operational state of the second network switch, and the actionable condition.

17 . A switch, the switch comprising:

a computer readable medium;

a transitional table stored in the computer readable medium;

a processor coupled to the computer readable medium;

computer-executable instructions carried on the computer readable medium, the instructions readable by the processor, the instructions, when read and executed, for causing the processor to:

determine the operational state of the switch;

determine the operational state of a far-end network switch coupled to the switch by a protected path;

determine the existence of an actionable condition;

access information in the transitional table by referencing the operational state of the switch, the operational state of the far-end network switch, and the actionable condition; and

change the operational state of the switch based upon the information in the transitional table associated with the operational state of the switch, the operational state of the far-end network switch, and the actionable condition.

18 . The switch of claim 17 , wherein the table is indexed by at least the operational states of the switch and the far-end network switch.

19 . The switch of claim 17 , further comprising instructions causing the processor to:

determine the revertive mode of the first network switch; and

determine the revertive mode of the second network switch;

wherein:

accessing the information further comprises referencing the revertive mode of the first network switch and the revertive mode of the second switch; and

changing the operational state of the first switch is further based upon the revertive mode of the first network switch and the revertive mode of the second network switch.

20 . The switch of claim 17 , wherein changing the operational state of the switch comprises changing the revertive configuration of the switch.

21 . The switch of claim 20 , wherein the revertive configuration of the switch is changed if the revertive configuration of the switch and the revertive configuration of the far-end network switch are not the same.

22 . The switch of claim 17 , wherein the operational state comprises a state defined in G.8031.

23 . The switch of claim 17 , further comprising causing the processor to set a standing condition based upon the information associated with the operational state of the switch, operational state of the far-end network switch, and the actionable condition.

24 . The switch of claim 17 , further comprising causing the processor to move user traffic between a protect path and a working path based upon the information associated with the operational state of the switch, operational state of the far-end network switch, and the actionable condition.