OPTICAL CROSS-CONNECT RESTORATION TECHNIQUE

An alarm and restoration system (28) accomplishes restoration in a ring network (10 1) by monitoring network traffic to detect the occurrence of a single failure arising from a failed optical service path (14i) and the occurrence of a double failure arising from a failed optical service path and an occupied optical protection path (16i). In case of a single failure, the alarm and restoratio n system (28) restores traffic in the network itself by routing traffic on a restoration path. In the event of a double failure, the alarm and restoration system (28) rout es traffic from the failed ring network through an Optical Cross-Connect mesh (22) to transform the double failure into a single failure that can be restored i n the network itself.