Patent ID: 9485136
Filing Date: 2016-11-01
CPC Classification: H04L

Claim Text:
1. A method comprising: in a routing arc of a network including multiple routing arcs for loop-free routing of network traffic to a destination, each routing arc comprising nodes connected in sequence by reversible links oriented away from a node initially holding a cursor toward one of first and second edge nodes and their corresponding edges at opposite ends of the arc and through which the network traffic exits the arc, each node including a network device: detecting a first failure in the arc proximate a first node; responsive to the detecting the first failure, exchanging first management frames over a data plane in the network between nodes within the arc; the exchanging including: sending a Cursor-Request management frame from the first node to the first edge node; responsive to the Cursor-Request management frame, sending a Cursor-Grant management frame from the first edge node back to the first node in a direction that causes that management frame to transit the node initially holding the cursor; and responsive to the Cursor-Grant management frame transiting the node initially holding the cursor and next nodes thereafter including the first node: