Patent ID: 6757297
Filing Date: 2004-06-29
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method for use in communication systems having at least a first network layer group of first network layer elements and a second network layer group of second network layer elements comprising:at a first network layer element, sending a query in a network management protocol to a first element in said second network layer group requesting status of that element, the first network layer group and the second network layer group being part of a hierarchical arrangement of network layers for handling traffic data, wherein the first network layer group provides different networking functions for handling the traffic data than the second layer group; wherein, the query is generated by a request engine in said first network layer element, said request engine generating queries to the first element in said second network layer group a response to which by the first element in said second network layer group is used by the first network layer element to infer operation of said first network layer element, and for receiving responses from the first element in said second network layer group, the responses including connection and operation information; at the first network layer element, receiving a response from a management agent of the first element in said second network layer group indicating whether an element in said second layer group has a predefined operating status; and at the first network layer element, upon receiving the response including the operating information from the first element in the second layer group that an element in said second layer group has a predefined operating status indicating that rerouting is desirable, rerouting data traffic to a backup second network layer element according to the connection information wherein queries and responses are transmitted using an SNMP network management protocol.