Abstract: A software defined networking (SDN) controller and methods for protecting against failure of a network element in a forwarding plane are provided. A multi-topology routing based IP fast re-route (MTR-IPFRR) process is configured to: if a new traffic flow is detected in the forwarding plane, determine a primary path for relaying network traffic to a destination node using primary forwarding tables; for each network element along the primary path, determine and associate a virtual topology (VT) which protects the network element from relaying network traffic; determine a protecting path for each protected network element along the primary path using an associated VT; and program each node along the primary path to be switchable to a protecting path associated with an adjacent network element to reroute network traffic from an anticipated failed network element.

Abstract: A method for managing network connections may include identifying a network failure within a network comprising various network elements. The method may include selecting, in response to identifying the network failure and for the network elements, a subset of nodal maps from various nodal maps. The nodal maps may be stored on the network elements. The subset of nodal maps may describe various cross-connections of the nodal maps within a first end-to-end connection in the network. The method may include transmitting, in response to selecting the subset of nodal maps, various activation requests to trigger the network elements to implement the subset of nodal maps.

Abstract: A technique for triggering an association between a Media Access Control (MAC) address and a switch port is provided. The association allows forwarding data frames including the MAC address as destination MAC address via the associated switch port. Related methods include receiving a data frame originating from a node. The data frame includes a MAC address of the originating note as source MAC address. The data frame is stored including the MAC address. The data frame is successfully sent towards a first switch port. In response to a failure of a first link towards the first switch port, the stored data frame is resent towards a seconds switch port that is different from the first switch port for triggering the association between the second switch port and the MAC address of the originating node.

Abstract: A cross-domain clock synchronization method, device and system and a computer storage medium, which are applied to a cross-domain synchronization network.

Abstract: A media converter including first and second physical layer devices and a processor. The first physical layer device is configured to store first data indicating a first status including an indication that the first communication link is active or inactive. The second physical layer device is configured to store second data indicating a second status including an indication that the second communication link is active or inactive. The processor is configured to determine whether the first status indicates that the first communication link is active or inactive, in response to a determination that the first status indicates that the first communication link is active, determine whether the second status indicates that the second communication link is active or inactive, and, in response to a determination that the second status indicates that the second communication link is inactive, change the first data to indicate that the first communication link is inactive.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a method for random access in a UE in an out-of-sync status. The method comprises: sending to a base station a first message including a random access preamble according to a TDD configuration in a SIB; receiving from the base station a second message including a random access response using the random access preamble according to the TDD configuration in the SIB. Another embodiment of the present invention also relates to corresponding method for random access in a base station. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there are provided corresponding devices.

Abstract: In one example, a first routing device of an Ethernet virtual private network (EVPN) is multihomed to a customer edge (CE) routing device with a second routing device. The first routing device includes one or more network interfaces configured to send and receive packets. The first routing device also includes one or more processors configured to receive, via the one or more network interfaces, a first packet from the CE routing device including multicast join information, update multicast state information of the first routing device using the multicast join information from the first packet, and send, via the one or more network interfaces, a second packet including data representative of the multicast join information to the second routing device to synchronize multicast state information of the second routing device with the multicast state information of the first routing device.

Abstract: Provided is a method for controlling exchanges of data streams between at least one source connected to a hybrid wide area telecommunication network via a local area access network and at least one recipient connected to the wide area telecommunication network via a remote access network. The method includes the steps of: setting new transfer rules through the analysis of the streams, dynamically creating at least one additional stream exchange path from the new transfer rules and the access rules in force, applying on the additional path burn-in, securization and optimization mechanisms for the stream transfers between the local area access network and the remote access network, and transferring each new stream to the recipient via the additional path according to the new transfer rules.

Abstract: A station (100, 330) for use in a mesh network comprising at least one first station (100a) and a second station (100b) wherein the station comprises a controller (210) configured to receive a path request for a path from the first station (100a) to the second station (100b); determine a proposed path between the first station (100a) and the second station (100b); and determine a cost for the proposed path, wherein the controller (210) is characterized in that it is configured to retrieve a number of jumps and a bit rate, and to include the number of jumps and a bit rate in the determination of the cost for the proposed path, wherein an increase in number of jumps and/or decrease in bit rate leads to an increase in cost for the proposed path.

Abstract: Various systems and methods for fault-tolerant and otherwise optimized communication, in which a system includes communication nodes connected by wireless data links together forming a ring structure, as well as additional wireless data links operative to partition the ring structure into multiple sub-ring structures. The system is operative to select, per each of the sub-ring structures, one of the wireless data links to remain dormant, thereby effectively creating a certain communication tree structure. The system is further operative, upon detecting a communication problem or inefficiency in any or all of the sub-ring structures, to shut-down, per sub-ring structure detected, the problematic or otherwise inefficient wireless data link, and to reactivate instead the dormant wireless data link, thereby effectively switching to a new communication tree structure, and thus resolving the problem or otherwise improving efficiency.

Abstract: Systems for routing data over first and second broadband network. A router includes a first network interface that is configured to provide communication via a first broadband channel. There is a second network interface configured to enable communication via second broadband channel. In various embodiments, the first and second broadband channels may be used to provide failover, load balancing, and/or secure transmission of communication data.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch which comprises one or more ports adapted to receive packets. The switch is a member of a network of interconnected switches, and also comprises a path monitoring apparatus adapted to: in response to a control packet associated with a session within a predetermined time interval, set a receive indicator for the switch to an active state; and in response to absence of the control packet associated with the session within the predetermined time interval, set the receive indicator for the switch to an inactive state. The path monitoring apparatus is also adapted to set a path state associated with the session based on the receive indicators for the switch and other member switches. The switch also comprises a broadcast apparatus adapted to broadcast at least the receive indicator for the switch to the other member switches.

Abstract: Techniques are described for enhancements to multicast Label Distribution Protocol (mLDP) to support multicast only fast re-route (MoFRR) over a remote loop free alternate (RLFA) backup path. An egress router is configured to generate a modified mLDP control message to signal the RLFA backup path in which an address of a RLFA node is included in an LSPRoot field and an address of an ingress router is included in an opaque data field. In addition, the RLFA node of the RLFA backup path is configured to recognize that it is identified in the LSPRoot field of the modified mLDP control message, and, in response, look up the ingress router identified in the opaque data field of the modified mLDP control message. The RLFA node is further configured to send an mLDP control message that includes the address of the ingress router in the LSPRoot field towards the ingress router.

Abstract: A method of handling simultaneous communications comprises a first base station configuring a radio resource control (RRC) connection to a communication device; the first base station configuring a second base station as a secondary base station to the communication device; the second base station configuring a signalling radio bearer (SRB) to the communication device via the first base station; the second base station transmitting a second measurement configuration to the communication device; the second base station receiving a second measurement report corresponding to the second measurement configuration via the SRB from the communication device; and the second base station adding a secondary cell (SCell) of the second base station to the communication device, releasing a SCell of the communication device, or changing a primary secondary cell (PSCell) of the communication device via the first base station or via the SRB.

Abstract: A packet network linear protection method, a network, and a node in a dual or multi-home configuration include designating each of a plurality of home nodes in the dual or multi-home configuration as a working home or a protect home; designating each link between each of the plurality of home nodes and an end node in the dual or multi-home configuration as active or standby; operating a protection switch state machine based on an associated linear protection protocol at each of the plurality of home nodes and the end node; communicating protection messages to each of the plurality of home nodes from the end node; and communicating protection states in an associated protection switch state machine by each of the plurality of home nodes to other home nodes and to the end node.

Abstract: Functionality is described herein for measuring the performance of a network. The functionality operates by generating a probe packet and injecting the probe packet into the network. The probe packet is configured, using one or more layers of encapsulation, to target a particular network component of interest in the network, or to target a particular collection of network components in the network. A switch to which the probe packet is addressed operates by: (a) generating mirrored information that is associated with the probe packet; (b) decapsulating the probe packet (with respect to its outermost encapsulation) to produce a new probe packet; and (c) passing the new probe packet to a downstream network component, in accordance with a destination address associated with the new probe packet. The functionality uses the mirrored information that has been collected in the above manner to detect various anomalies in the network.

Abstract: Devices and techniques for out-of-band platform tuning and configuration are described herein. A device can include a telemetry interface to a telemetry collection system and a network interface to network adapter hardware. The device can receive platform telemetry metrics from the telemetry collection system, and network adapter silicon hardware statistics over the network interface, to gather collected statistics. The device can apply a heuristic algorithm using the collected statistics to determine processing core workloads generated by operation of a plurality of software systems communicatively coupled to the device. The device can provide a reconfiguration message to instruct at least one software system to switch operations to a different processing core, responsive to detecting an overload state on at least one processing core, based on the processing core workloads. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improving optical restoration time in a network include maintaining a status of wavelength load for a plurality of optical links in the network; utilizing the wavelength load to estimate a restoration time for one or more wavelengths being added to each of the plurality of optical links; and determining one or more restoration paths for the one or more wavelengths in the network and considering a total service restoration time in selecting a path for each of the one or more wavelengths, wherein each of the one or more restoration paths comprises one or more of the plurality of optical links.

Abstract: An information processing method and a switch are described, in which the method includes the steps of acquiring a first information transmitted by the server through the first connection; deciding whether a first parameter in the first information matches a first predetermined parameter, the first parameter including at least Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) identification information and Internet Protocol (IP) address information corresponding to a network port into which the first connection line is plugged on the server; determining the first connection line connected at the switch is in a wrong connection when it is decided that the first parameter does not match the first predetermined parameter. The recognition whether a connection of a network cable plugged in a network port of the server and the port of the switch are correct may be realized automatically.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a pre-5th-Generation (5G) or 5G communication system to be provided for supporting higher data rates Beyond 4th-Generation (4G) communication system such as Long Term Evolution (LTE). Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and an apparatus for efficiently controlling a handover process and a Radio Link Failure (RLF) process. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, an operating method of a User Equipment (UE) includes starting a first timer while a second timer regarding a radio link failure (RLF) is running, and if one of the first timer and the second timer expires, performing a radio resource control (RRC) connection re-establishment. When the handover and the RLF concurrently occur in the mobile communication system, the embodiments of the present disclosure can minimize the service interruption time by conducting the handover instead of the Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection re-establishment due to the RLF.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods and apparatus for wireless communication, and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for radio link failure (RLF) failover in a multi-connectivity environment. For example, in certain aspects, a mobile device for establishing one or more first data flows with a first network entity, determining a link recovery configuration, the link recovery configuration having information related to establishing a second data flow in the event of a link failure at the first network entity, wherein the link recovery configuration comprises a list of network entities, detecting a link failure at the first network entity affecting a service associated with the first data flows, and recovering the service associated with the first data flows from the link failure by selecting a second network entity from the list of network entities and establishing the second data flow associated with the service based on the link recovery configuration.

Abstract: A transmitting direct mode communication apparatus, a receiving direct mode communication apparatus and a communication path switching method thereof are provided. The transmitting direct mode communication apparatus and the receiving direct mode communication apparatus maintain a backend network connection, and communicate with each other via a direct communication connection. The transmitting direct mode communication apparatus and the receiving direct mode communication apparatus are capable of switching the communication to backend network connection rapidly and seamlessly for transmitting data normally after the direct communication connection failed.

Abstract: A method for balancing load among firewall security devices (FSDs) is provided. According to one embodiment, imminent shutdown of a first cluster unit of an HA cluster of FSDs is gracefully handled by a switching device. A load balancing (LB) table, forming associations between hash values output by the LB function and corresponding ports of the switching device to which the cluster units are coupled, is maintained. The first cluster unit is coupled to a first port. Responsive to imminent shutdown of the first cluster unit: (i) a second cluster unit, coupled to a second port, is selected to perform security services on traffic sessions handled by the first cluster unit; and (ii) the LB table is updated by replacing reference(s) to the first port with reference(s) to the second port. Security services for subsequently received network traffic associated with the traffic sessions is performed by the second cluster unit.

Abstract: Various systems and methods for performing fast fail-over. For example, one method involves receiving a packet at a node. The packet is received at the node in response to a designated forwarder (DF) detecting loss of communication between the DF and a receiver node. The method also involves determining that the first packet was received via a tunnel. The method also involves forwarding the first packet and initiating a DF election. Forwarding the first packet and initiating the DF election are performed in response to determining that the first packet was received via the tunnel.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a device in a network receives a switchover policy for a particular type of traffic in the network. The device determines a predicted effect of directing a traffic flow of the particular type of traffic from a first path in the network to a second path in the network. The device determines whether the predicted effect of directing the traffic flow to the second path would violate the switchover policy. The device causes the traffic flow to be routed via the second path in the network, based on a determination that the predicted effect of directing the traffic flow to the second path would not violate the switchover policy for the particular type of traffic.

Abstract: An information handling system is provided that uses an overlay network controller to improve fault tolerance and minimize downtime in a solicited system. The network controller may determine standby paths for the solicited communications path and reroute communications to one of the standby paths when a fault is detected in the communications path.

Abstract: A processor performs a process that includes decoding, from among a radio signal received by the radio signal receiving apparatus, control data that includes information indicating frequency bands that a mobile station apparatus is capable of dealing with, component carriers and scenarios for carrier aggregation, receiving the decoded control data, calculating, in accordance with the received control data, a transmission-bandwidth adjacency level value indicating a policy on component-carrier allocation to the mobile station apparatus, determining, in accordance with the calculated transmission-bandwidth adjacency level value, a component carrier to be allocated to the mobile station apparatus from among the component carriers and the frequency bands that the mobile station apparatus is capable of dealing with; and generating a transmission signal that includes information indicating the determined component carrier.

Abstract: In the field of network communications, a protection method for a multi-domain network includes: after a second node detects that a first link fails, disconnecting a first protection path on the node, connecting a first sub-path and a path that is within a second domain, uses the second node as an endpoint, and is used to bear a service; sending, on the first sub-path, a first failure monitoring message that carries first maintenance information to a third node, where the first maintenance information is the same as second maintenance information carried in a second failure monitoring message; the second failure monitoring message is a message that is sent on the first protection path by a first node to the third node and is used to monitor a failure of the first protection path.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a first routing device establishes a virtual channel with a remote routing device in a G.8032 protocol Ethernet network ring. The first routing device and the remote routing device each being linked to a multi-homed routing device having Layer 2 connectivity to a core network. The multi-homed routing device is not configured with the G.8032 protocol. The first routing device identifies a link state from the first routing device to the multi-homed routing device. Layer 2 connectivity of the first routing device to the core network is controlled based upon the identified link state of the first routing device.

Abstract: Various systems and methods for preventing loops. For example, one method involves receiving a multicast data packet at a node. The node is coupled to a local area network (LAN). An internet protocol (IP) prefix is assigned to the LAN. The method involves determining whether a source address included in the packet is covered by the IP prefix. Depending on the direction of travel of the multicast data packet and whether or not the source address is covered by the IP prefix, the node determines whether a loop exists.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example and includes determining a bandwidth level associated with a link, which is provided between a first microwave transceiver and a second microwave transceiver. The link is part of a communication ring containing multiple Ethernet ring protection elements. The method also includes comparing the bandwidth level associated with the link to a threshold level. A fail-over can be triggered for a selected one of the plurality of Ethernet ring protection elements if the bandwidth is below the threshold level. In certain example embodiments, the first microwave transceiver and the second microwave transceiver can implement an adaptive modulation protocol on the link.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for enhanced control over electronic device manufacturing systems are provided herein. In some embodiments, the integrated sub-fab system may employ Ethernet and/or RS232 Serial communications through an open platform of apparatus to achieve a reduced carbon footprint during electronic device manufacturing. For this example, the system could include a process tool set and controller linked by sensors or software interconnect with one or more sub-fab or local factory auxiliary systems that can be operated in one or more states of energy consumption. These one or more auxiliary systems can be switched between different levels of energy consumption, as required by the process, via the controller. For many auxiliary components or systems the integrated sub-fab system utilizes existing signal outputs, for others they may employ secondary sensors or monitors.

Abstract: Wireless receivers are described for receiving signals from a transmitter. A receiver can include a plurality of antennas each for receiving a version of a signal via a different propagation channel and providing that version to a respective input. Signal processing means can be included and configured to operate diversity processing of a supplied number of said inputs for use in performing detection of said signal. The receiver can include channel parameter estimation means, configured to estimate one or more channel parameters on the propagation channels. The receiver can also include selection means configured to select only a subset of said inputs to implement a specific dimensionality of the receiver diversity processing, in dependence on the one or more channel parameters indicative of channel conditions on said propagation channels. The diversity processing can be linear or non-linear. Related methods and software implementations and computer program products are also described.

Abstract: Rate control is provided for communicating within a wireless communication network. In some examples, redundant packet information transmitted over separate links, each link having its own independent rate control loop, can result in improvement in packet reliability with fast convergence to a desired error level. In other examples, artificial degradation of a received data stream can be utilized to improve packet reliability, also with fast convergence to the desired error level.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for controlling traffic congestion in a network, the network comprising a plurality of nodes including a source node, intermediary nodes and a destination node. In one embodiment, this can be accomplished by collecting network topology information and various parameters from each nodes in the network, storing the collected information and parameters in a database, computing network statistics from at least one of the contemplated collected information thereby reflecting the probabilities of changing modulation at a specific state, computing optimal parameters of specific congestion mitigation mechanisms associated with the plurality of nodes and configuring each node's specific congestion mitigation mechanism, wherein for each mechanism the method calculates the optimal parameter configuration per node.

Abstract: A control apparatus includes: a topology management unit that manages a network topology formed by including a plurality of relay apparatuses; a link aggregation group management unit that groups ports of the plurality of relay apparatuses, having a physical link with an arbitrary node of the network topology and manages the grouped ports as a port of a virtual logical link between the plurality of relay apparatuses and the arbitrary node; and a relay apparatus control unit that controls the plurality of relay apparatuses, having the grouped ports, so that, when one of the plurality of relay apparatuses receives a broadcast packet or a multicast packet, a plurality of same packet are not forwarded to the physical links that form the virtual logical link.

Abstract: A system for monitoring connection status of a cable in a network comprising a detector operationally connected to the cable, a metal line test module, and a processor for receiving from the detector one or more connection status reports about connection of the cable to a network node, and configured to cause, upon a connection status report threshold being reached, a test of the cable by the metal line test module to confirm the connection status of the cable. Related apparatus and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a switch. The switch comprises one or more ports and a link management module. The link management module operates a first aggregate link group as an active aggregate link group of a protected virtual link aggregation. This protected virtual link aggregation operates as a single logical channel. An aggregate link group comprises a plurality of logically aggregated links. The first aggregate link group, which represents the logical channel, comprises at least a first port of the one or more ports of the switch. The link management module also operates a second aggregate link group of the protected virtual link aggregation as a standby for the first aggregate link group. The second aggregate link group comprises at least a second port of the one or more ports of the switch. Forwarding is enabled via the first port and disabled via the second port.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for enabling centralized path definition and policy with distributed path setup, and centralized path setup control with distributed path utilization constraints. In one example, a path computation client (PCC) requests, utilizing opaque PCE profile identifiers, path computation from a path computation element (PCE). The PCE profile identifier corresponds to path computation constraints, stored local to PCE, and are unknown to the PCC. Advantageously, the PCE profile identifiers allow the PCC to initiate path computation requests based on information local the PCC while leveraging centralized computation by the PCE. In another example, a PCE requests, utilizing opaque PCC profile identifiers, that a PCC initiate a path. The PCC profile identifier corresponds to path usage constraints, stored local to PCC, and are unknown to the PCE.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure support techniques for collecting system information in a network on a chip (NoC). A dedicated packet may be transmitted from a source node to a destination node. As it traverses through the NoC, the dedicated packet may collect information from various nodes, which may be made available by the destination node. The collected information may be used in an effort to detect failures and collect statistics regarding the NoC.

Abstract: A network device includes an internal policy engine that makes local policy decisions for packet flows and controls policies applied by service modules and forwarding components of the network device. The policy engine interacts with an external policy server to receive policies using software defined networking (SDN) protocol as if the data plane of the network device were directly exposed to the external policy server by the SDN protocol.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for multi-wavelength encoding includes receiving an input optical packet stream having an address and data and encoding the address of the input optical packet stream producing an encoded address including a first group of symbols including a first selected symbol, where the first group of symbols has more than two symbols. The method also includes generating a first wavelength in accordance with the first selected symbol and generating an output optical packet stream having the data of the input optical packet and the first wavelength, where the first wavelength corresponds to the first selected symbol. Additionally, the method includes modulating the first wavelength with the input optical packet stream.

Abstract: A method for establishing redundant connections for a virtual machine, which comprises: obtaining a plurality of storage nodes storing a same virtual machine image of the virtual machine; determining at least two storage nodes from the plurality of storage nodes, so that connections between a compute node provisioning the virtual machine and each of the at least two storage nodes have minimum correlation; and establishing connections between the compute node and the at least two storage nodes respectively. The present invention further discloses the corresponding apparatus.

Abstract: A cross-device linear multiplex section protection method, including: a controller receives a first negotiation message transmitted by a first gateway, the first negotiation message is transmitted when the first gateway detects that a failure occurs in a link between the first gateway and a second gateway; the controller transmits a second negotiation message to the first gateway and the second gateway, the second negotiation message is used for indicating bridging service data on an active link to a protection link for transmission, the active link is a link between the second gateway and the controller, and the protection link is a link between the first gateway and the controller.

Abstract: A user equipment (UE) configured to connect to a network and operate in a carrier aggregation mode and a single carrier mode performs methods to select optimal component carriers. The methods include determining that a primary component carrier is operating less optimally than a secondary component carrier, sending an indication to the network that the primary component carrier is operating less optimally than the secondary component carrier, acquiring the secondary component carrier as a target primary component carrier and operating with the secondary component carrier as the target primary carrier component. In one exemplary embodiment, the indication is declaring a radio link failure (“RLF”) between the UE and the network. In another exemplary embodiment, the indication is a measurement report send to the network that triggers a handover procedure for the UE.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for multi-wavelength encoding includes receiving an input optical packet stream having an address and data and encoding the address of the input optical packet stream producing an encoded address including a first group of symbols including a first selected symbol, where the first group of symbols has more than two symbols. The method also includes generating a first wavelength in accordance with the first selected symbol and generating an output optical packet stream having the data of the input optical packet and the first wavelength, where the first wavelength corresponds to the first selected symbol. Additionally, the method includes modulating the first wavelength with the input optical packet stream.

Abstract: A first redundancy device and a second redundancy device connected to the first redundancy device are provided. A third switching device has a first link with a first port group of the first switching device and has no link with the second switching device. A fourth switching device has a second link with a first port group of the second switching device and has no link with the first switching device. Here, a communication between the first redundancy device and the second redundancy device is performed through the first link when the first link has no fault, and the communication is performed through the second link when the first link has a fault and the second link has no fault.

Abstract: Techniques are described for providing fast reroute inter-area node protection for label switched paths (LSPs) using label distribution protocol (LDP). In one example, a network device may be configured to determine that a protected node is an area border router, and use network topology information, obtained by an Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) executing on the network device, to identify a second area border router in the same IGP area as the protected node, to which to automatically establish a bypass LSP and a targeted LDP session.

Abstract: A communication system for transmitting data under a tunnel protocol between at least two computers via a wide area network, said system comprises a first computer running a first user application and a virtual private network application to build up TCP and UDP tunnels, a second computer accordingly running a second user application and a virtual private network VPN application, a wide area network to which both computers are connected by physical connections, wherein both user applications are implemented to communicate for an IP data packet exchange via at least one of the TCP tunnels and the UDP tunnel using the TCP and/or UDP transport protocol based on according TCP, UDP and IP stacks on both computers, and a splitter which is at least one of implemented in and associated to at least one of both computers which splitter analyzes the IP data packets to be sent from one of the computers to the other computer as concerns the type of the IP data packets and directs IP data packets of the TCP type to be t

Abstract: Systems are disclosed for automated protection switching enabled by in-band signaling. A status monitor coupled to a switch fabric may be operable to read signal quality information from cells packet-switched over the fabric, the cells carrying traffic signals from one or more working channels between two network nodes. The status monitor may apply a protection algorithm to the signal quality information to determine whether a traffic signal on a working channel meets requirements indicative of channel failure or degradation sufficient to move the traffic signal to an additional protection channel between the two nodes. The status monitor may encode a request to transfer this traffic signal in cells switched by the fabric. In some examples, this request may be encoded in an optional user and fabric overhead field of cells consistent with the Optical-Transport Network (OTN) over Packet Fabric Protocol (OFP).