Patent ID: 8274899
Filing Date: 2012-09-25
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of configuring domain hierarchical levels of Maintenance Intermediate Point (MIP) nodes disposed in an Ethernet Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OAM) network, comprising: configuring absolute level indicia associated with an OAM domain hierarchical level of Maintenance End Point (MEP) nodes of said Ethernet OAM network; initiating, by at least one of said MEP nodes, an OAM frame having an absolute level indicium of the at least one MEP node initiating the OAM frame and a relative level indicium encoded therein; offsetting the OAM frame's relative OAM domain level indicium when the OAM frame traverses from a first OAM domain at one hierarchical level to a second OAM domain at another hierarchical level; and when the OAM frame arrives at a particular MIP node, determining said particular MIP node's absolute level indicium based on the OAM frame's absolute level indicium and relative level indicium, wherein said particular MIP node's absolute level indicium is determined to be a value that equals the OAM frame's absolute level indicium when the OAM frame's relative level indicium indicates no hierarchical relative level change and wherein said particular MIP node's absolute level indicium is determined to be a value equaling the OAM frame's absolute level indicium that is offset by the OAM frame's relative level indicium when the OAM frame's relative level indicium indicates a hierarchical relative level change; auto-configuring said particular MIP node with said particular MIP node's determined absolute level indicium; and after completion of auto-configuration of said particular MIP node, detecting a frame leakage error when a second OAM frame's absolute level indicium equals said particular MIP node's determined absolute level indicium and the second OAM frame's relative level indicium indicates a hierarchical relative level change.