Switching method for protecting networks between two switches having a plurality of optical communication paths between them, comprising the following steps: detecting, in said switches, a failure in a first optical communication path, generating detection results representative of the identification of said failure; communicating said detection results internally within said switches to respective switching-based controllers; and causing a switch to a second optical communication path in response to the reception of said detection results by said switching-based controllers; characterized in that said second optical communication path is selected by said controllers after completing one of the following additional steps - identifying a plurality of alternate optical communication paths available between said two switches and selecting one of these paths, and - determining a optical communication path following from a plurality of optical communication paths arranged in a predetermined order, and selecting that optical communication path.
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