US 7,502,313 B2
Virtual path restoration scheme using fast dynamic mesh restoration in an optical network
Ali N. Saleh, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (US); H. Michael Zadikian, McKinney, Tex. (US); Zareh Baghdasarian, Richardson, Tex. (US); and Vahid Parsi, Richardson, Tex. (US)
Assigned to Cisco Technology, Inc., San Jose, Calif. (US)
Filed on Dec. 29, 2000, as Appl. No. 9/750,668.
Application 09/750668 is a continuation in part of application No. 09/232397, filed on Jan. 15, 1999.
Prior Publication US 2001/0048660 A1, Dec. 06, 2001
Int. Cl. G01R 31/08 (2006.01); H04L 12/28 (2006.01); H04J 3/16 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 370—216  [370/389; 370/468; 370/351] 119 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for restoring a virtual path in an optical network, the method comprising:
broadcasting a plurality of resource request packets to a plurality of nodes in said optical network;
dynamically identifying a plurality of nodes with resources as a result of said broadcasting, wherein said nodes with resources are ones of said nodes having a resource necessary to support said virtual path;
dynamically identifying an intermediate node without resources as a result of said broadcasting, wherein said node without resources is one of said nodes lacking a resource necessary to support said virtual path;
preventing a request packet from being forwarded, in response to said dynamically identifying said intermediate node without resources;
dynamically determining an alternate physical path, said alternate physical path comprising ones of said nodes with resources;
configuring said alternate physical path by establishing a communication connection between said ones of said nodes with resources; and
restoring said virtual path by provisioning said virtual path over said alternate physical path.