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. Cross-connections between spare links in adjacent spans are made such that sets of successive nodes through which the adjacent spans form span paths form closed paths. A method of finding and construction closed paths is described in which statelets are broadcast through the network. In a preferred method of implementation of the method, the statelet broadcast occurs not in response to a network failure, but across the entire network before any particular span failure and may be carried out during normal network operations as a continual re-configuration of the network.

Abstract: A telecommunications network, comprising plural nodes connected by plural spans and arranged to form a mesh network. There is at least one pre-configured cycle of spare capacity established in the mesh network, the pre-configured cycle including plural nodes of the mesh network. The plural nodes of the pre-configured cycle are configured to protect a set of plural mutually disjoint working paths end to end.

Abstract: A method of protecting a telecommunications network comprising plural nodes connected by plural spans and having working capacity. The method comprising the steps of determining the spare capacity necessary to protect at least some of the working capacity of the telecommunications network; implementing a protected working capacity envelope based on the spare capacity determined; and analyzing the protected working capacity envelope to increase the protected working capacity.