Abstract: A load balancer is provided wherein packets are transmitted to a burst distributor and a hash splitter. The burst distributor consults a flow table to make a determination as to which forwarding engine will receive the packet, and if the flow table is full, returns an invalid forwarding engine. A selector sends the packet to the forwarding engine returned by the burst distributor, unless the burst distributor returns an invalid forwarding engine, in which case the selector sends the packet to the forwarding engine selected by the hash splitter. The system is scalable by adding additional burst distributors and using a hash splitter to determine which burst distributor receives a packet.

Abstract: A method for restoring traffic in a network. The network includes plural distinct nodes interconnected by plural distinct spans, each span having working links and spare links. Each node has a digital cross-connect switch for making and breaking connections between adjacent spans forming span pairs at a node. Step 1: For each of at least two possible span failures, (a) find the number of restoration routes available in case of the occurrence of each span failure, (b) determine the resources used by each restoration route, and (c) determine the amount of flow to be restored for each span failure. Step 2: find, in a computer, the amount of flow f.sup.p to be restored along each restoration route that minimizes total unrestored flow for all possible span failures identified in step 1. Step 3: form connections at each digital cross-connect switch in the network along each restoration route before occurrence of one of the possible span failures identified in step 1 to permit the amount of flow f.sup.