Inventors:
Edgar C. Alcazaren - Kansas City MO, US
Bruce Hoffman - Overland Park KS, US
Dave Polson - Olathe KS, US
Philip D. King - Stilwell KS, US
Assignee:
Sprint Communications Company L.P. - Overland Park KS
International Classification:
G01R 31/08
US Classification:
370216, 370217, 370225, 370228
Abstract:
A communication network architecture comprises an access tier including access packet switches coupled to users, a backbone tier including hub packet switches coupled to one another, and a transit tier including transit packet switches coupling the access tier to the backbone tier. The access packet switches are coupled to the transit tier by physically diverse access communication trunks. The transit packet switches are coupled to the backbone tier by physically diverse transit communication trunks. OSI layer one protection is disabled between the access tier and the transit tier and is disabled between the transit tier and the backbone tier. OSI layer two protection is enabled between the access tier and the transit tier and is enabled between the transit tier and the backbone tier. In some examples, a control system selects protection schemes for selected communication trunks and directs the network elements to implement the selected protection schemes on the selected communication trunks.