Communications network

摘要

A passive optical network is provided which uses existing GPON OAM functionality and standard routing protocol messages to solve the downstream routing problem between an access service provider and one or more other communication provider networks.

主权项

1. A communications network comprising:
first and second optical line terminals and one or more optical network terminals, wherein: the first optical line terminal has a first network connection to the one or more optical network terminals, the first network connection being active and carrying traffic from the one or more optical network terminals to the first optical line terminal; the second optical line terminal has a second network connection to the one or more optical network terminals, the second network connection being a standby network connection; the first optical line terminal has a connection to a first edge router in a first core network and the second optical line terminal has a connection to a second edge router in the first core network; the connection between the first optical line terminal and the first edge router has an associated first metric and the connection between the second optical line terminal and the second edge router has an associated second metric, the values of the first metric and the second metric being such that data transmitted between the one or more optical network terminals and the first core network is routed via the connection between the first optical line terminal and the first edge router; the network being configured to, in use, on detecting a failure in the first network connection; activate the second network connection such that active traffic is sent from the one or more optical network terminals to the second optical line terminal; and change the value of the first metric relative to the value of the second metric such that data transmitted between the one or more optical network terminals and the first core network is routed via the connection between the second optical line terminal and the second edge router.