Patent ID: 9537846
Date: 2017-01-03
CPC Classifications: H04L

Claim:
1. A method, comprising: determining an authentication mechanism between two nodes in a network path; operating the network path; performing connectivity check between the two nodes in the network path, wherein the connectivity check comprises any of Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD), IEEE 802.1ag-2007, and G.8013/Y.1731; and authenticating only specific frames affecting a state of the network path in the connectivity check between the two nodes with the authentication mechanism, and wherein the specific frames comprise any of i) BFD control packets with a P or an F flag enabled therein, ii) any of BFD control packets, BFD echo packets, or Continuity Check Message (CCM) frames indicating any of a Remote Defect Indication (RDI), an Alarm Indication Signal (AIS), and a change in operating parameters, and iii) any frames related to Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) [RFC2328], Intermediate System-Intermediate System (IS-IS) [RFC1195], and Routing Information Protocol (RIP) [RFC2453] predetermined to affect the state of the network path.