SONET Rings ...cont’d = 2-fiber vs. 4 fiber 2-fiber rings have 2 physical fibers between each pair of nodes 4-fiber rings have 4 physical fibers between each pair of nodes . Unidirectional vs. bidirectional In unidirectional rings, information flow between 2 nodes (node 1 to node 2 or node 2 to node 1) always travels in a single direction Unidirectional rings use a loop (or pair of loops) for working traffic and the other loop (or pair of loops) for protection In bidirectional rings, information flow between 2 nodes (node 1 to node 2 or node 2 to node 1) travels in 2 (opposite) directions Unidirectional and bidirectional rings are indistinguishable physically = Line switching vs. path switching Line switching and path switching are forms of protection switching Line switching works by switching traffic to the protection fiber at both end of a span in the event of a failure Path switching works by sending traffic along both the working and protection fibers in the event of a failure and allowing the receiver the select the best signal Path switching can occur at the STS-1 or VT level as opposed to only the OC-n level for line switching —— The Telecom Source