Patent ID: 7801049
Filing Date: 2010-09-21
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for implementing Subnetwork Connection Protection (SNCP) in a Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network, wherein the MPLS network nests a subnetwork and a source node of the MPLS network sends an Operation, Administration and Maintenance (OAM) packet; the source node is part of the MPLS network without being part of the subnetwork, the method comprising: duplicating, by a first node of the subnetwork, the OAM packet sent by the source node of the MPLS network and modifying a Time To Live (TTL) value in the field of the OAM packet to generate an OAMw packet and an OAMp packet, wherein the TTL value in the field of the OAMw packet is equal to the number of hops of a working path and the TTL value in the field of the OAMp packet is equal to the number of hops of a protection path; wherein the TTL value in the field of the OAM packet is set as greater than or equal to the maximal number of hops of the MPLS network via a working path and a protection path of the subnetwork; sending by the first node of the subnetwork, the OAM packet and the OAMw packet onto the working path of the subnetwork and sending the OAM packet and the OAMp packet onto the protection path of the subnetwork; distinguishing, by a second node of the subnetwork, the OAMw packet and the OAM packet according to the TTL value in the field of the OAMw packet and the TTL value in the field of the OAM packet, and distinguishing the OAMp packet and the OAM packet according to the TTL value in the field of the OAMp packet and the TTL value in the field of the OAM packet; and determining, by the second node of the subnetwork, working status of the working path and the protection path of the subnetwork according to the OAMw packet on the working path and the OAMp packet on the protection path, selecting to receive traffic from one of the working path and the protection path of the subnetwork according to the working status, and transmitting the OAM packet transparently.