Patent ID: 7599303
Filing Date: 2009-10-06
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of determining path availability comprising: providing an accumulator, the accumulator counting intermediate hops; populating a maximum number of hops, the maximum number of hops and accumulator initially having a common value; transmitting a message packet over a pseudowire, the pseudowire defined by a set of intermediate hops terminated by ultimate nodes, the message packet adapted to commence at any of the intermediate hops, the message packet including the accumulator and the maximum number of hops, the accumulator decrementing at each hop along a path to an ultimate node so as to provide a traversed number of incremental hops, the ultimate node responsive to the transmitted message packet with a return message having a number of return hops computable from the accumulator and the maximum number, such that the number of return hops can be decremented at each of the intermediate hops, wherein transmitting the message packet further comprises: