Patent ID: 9350639
Filing Date: 2016-05-24
CPC Classification: H04L

Claim Text:
1. An apparatus implemented in a first router, comprising: a first network interface configured to couple the first router to a second router that is adjacent to both the first router and a third router in a data communications network having as components nodes and links therebetween; first logic which when executed is operable to receive, before the second router becomes unavailable, a standard network address and a repair address for a third network interface of the third router; wherein the repair address is different from the standard network address, and the repair address is to be used to deliver data packets from the first router to the third router if the second router becomes unavailable; second logic which when executed is operable to compute, before the second router becomes unavailable, a repair path from the first router to the repair address of the third network interface of the third router and around the second router on a primary forwarding path between the first router and the third router; third logic which when executed is operable to propagate the repair address along a label switched path (LSP), comprising the repair path, from the first router; fourth logic which when executed is operable to propagate, only to nodes along the repair path, and before the second router becomes unavailable, a Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) communication comprising a path vector identifying nodes on the repair path together with the repair address of the third network interface of the third router and a repair address label to a next node along the repair path.