Method and system for channel diversity and hot-stand-by protection in communication networks with distributed decision making intelligence, corresponding network and computer program product

摘要

In a packet communication network, a same stream of packets is transmissible between two nodes (M, N) over a transmission path therebetween including one or more intermediate nodes (A1, A2, B1, B2). In a channel diversity or hot stand-by protection scheme, the transmission path is selected out of different transmission paths (A, B) based on a switching decision taken at a decision node. The transmission path is configured for providing a hop-by-hop check message of the continuity of the transmission path itself. The switching decision is thus taken as a result of one of:
- an explicit switching command issued by one intermediate node (A1, A2, B1, B2) in the transmission path, and
- an implicit switching command implied by the loss of the hop-by-hop continuity check message.