Abstract: There is described a transmission in a burst switching network, whereby data packets are collected to form a burst which is provided with a header. A loop-free common control channel is provided in the optical burst switching network to which all network nodes have access. Headers are transmitted by the loop-free control channel such that a header is distributed virtually in parallel to all network nodes and processed virtually in parallel in the network nodes.

Abstract: A method for automatic protection switching in a ring network detects a link failure at a first interface of a node, generates a first link down message and sends the first link down message along the second direction of the ring network. Upon generation or receipt of the first link down message by the redundancy manager, the redundancy manager is unblocked such that non-control frames of the at least one automatic protection switching domain are no longer blocked by the redundancy manager. Upon generation or receipt of the first link down message by one of the nodes, the node having at least one entry assigning an address to the second interface IF2, deletes only the entries in the forwarding database of the node which assign an address to the first interface of said node. Deleted entries are then updated in the forwarding database.

Abstract: Reconfiguring a ring network having N nodes and S spans that prevents a maximum usage parameter to be exceeded. The network is configured by selecting a span as a protection span to remain idle. An effect of the configuration on the network that causes the network to exceed a maximum usage parameter is calculated. The network is reconfigured by selecting a different span as a protection span to remain idle based on a result of the step of calculating that a previous span selected as the protection span to remain idle causes the network to exceed a maximum usage parameter such that the maximum usage parameter of the reconfigured network is not exceeded.

Abstract: There is described a method of operating a node in a ring network. A first loop avoidance protocol, for example, a Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is run at the node together with a protocol adaptation process. The protocol adaptation process performs processes that enable the first loop avoidance protocol to run over a second loop avoidance protocol, for example, the Ethernet Ring Protection Protocol (ERP), operating in the ring. This makes it easier for network operators to incorporate in networks running STP, equipment manufactured to run ERP.

Abstract: Reconfiguring a ring network having N nodes and S spans that prevents a maximum usage parameter to be exceeded. The network is configured by selecting a span as a protection span to remain idle. An effect of the configuration on the network that causes the network to exceed a maximum usage parameter is calculated. The network is reconfigured by selecting a different span as a protection span to remain idle based on a result of the step of calculating that a previous span selected as the protection span to remain idle causes the network to exceed a maximum usage parameter such that the maximum usage parameter of the reconfigured network is not exceeded.