Protection schema for optical packet switching network with large number of nodes

This work describes a new protection schema suitable for transparent optical networks with a large number of nodes. The protection and recovery processes are described as emerging functions in a bottom-up organized network obtained by connecting a large number of autonomous 2×2 optical packet switching nodes. The links are classified into sub-domains containing only four nodes each. During an emergency situation, only the small sub-domain that contains the failure must be reconfigured. Results show that the number of hops enhancement, due to failure, is smaller for larger number of nodes.