Patent ID: 8472346
Filing Date: 2013-06-25
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A router that operates as an ingress label-switching router (LSR) of a first label-switched path (LSP), the router comprising: a processor; a protocol module executing on the processor; wherein the protocol module tests connectivity of the first LSP by sending a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) echo request packet that includes both a label stack having a label for directing the MPLS echo request packet along the first LSP and a forwarding equivalence class (FEC) stack specifying a FEC identifying the first LSP, and wherein the protocol module receives from an intermediate LSR of the first LSP in response to the MPLS echo request packet, an MPLS echo reply packet that includes information that instructs the ingress LSR to modify the FEC stack specified within subsequent MPLS echo request packets to be sent by the ingress LSR for testing connectivity of the first LSP.