FASTAR operations in the real AT&T transport network

FASTAR is a robust, reliable, fast-response system for automated network restoration, now fully deployed and operational throughout the AT&T digital transport network. FASTAR reduces by orders of magnitude the average service outage time that customers experience as a result of transmission failures. Its architecture combines centralized and distributed intelligence to provide full automation of restoration operations. While the conception, design and development of FASTAR presented formidible challenges, ahead lay many further challenges, including network deployment planning, network management, and ongoing performance monitoring, all of which are described in the paper.<>