Patent ID: 11949579
Assignee: APPEX NETWORKS CORPORATION
Field: Digital communication (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 0:
1. A method implemented by a network node, the method comprising:
receiving a path probe request packet from a first neighboring network node, wherein the path probe request packet indicates at least a network address of the first neighboring network node or a network link between the network node and the first neighboring network node, the path probe request packet further including a first path label associated a first network path;
establishing a first association between the first path label and the network address of the first neighboring network node or between the first path label and the network link between the network node and the first neighboring network node;
storing information regarding the first association at the network node, wherein the information indicates that the first neighboring network node or the network link between the network node and the first neighboring network node forms a part of the first network path identified by the first path label;
transmitting the path probe request packet to a second neighboring network node;
receiving a path probe reply packet from the second neighboring network node, wherein the path probe reply packet indicates at least a network address of the second neighboring network node or a network link between the network node and the second neighboring network node, the path probe reply packet further including a second path label associated with a second network path;
establishing a second association between the second path label and the network address of the second neighboring network node or between the second path label and the network link between the network node and the second neighboring network node;
storing the second association at the network node;
transmitting the path probe reply packet to the first neighboring network node;
determining that a data packet is associated with the first path label; and
transmitting the data packet to the first neighboring network node based on the information stored at the network node that indicates that the first neighboring network node or the network link between the network node and the first neighboring network node forms the part of the first network path identified by the first path label.