Patent ID: 8804719
Filing Date: 2014-08-12
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. An apparatus comprising: an interface configured to receive a packet from a router in a network, the packet initiated by a source network device; a processor configured to identify a plurality of paths from the apparatus to one or more next-hop network devices of the apparatus; the processor further configured to replicate the packet for each one of the plurality of paths when the apparatus is a forwarding node, wherein replication of the packet produces a plurality of upstream packets; the interface further configured to transmit the upstream packets to the one or more next-hop network devices of the apparatus via the paths when the apparatus is the forwarding node, the paths including a first path to a destination and a second path the destination, wherein the second path is a backup path for the first path, and wherein each of the upstream packets is a replica of the received packet appended with identity information about the forwarding node by the forwarding node; the processor further configured to extract from the received packet the identity information of forwarding nodes visited by the received packet when the apparatus is an egress node; and the interface further configured to transmit to the source network device, when the apparatus is the egress node, a reply packet comprising the extracted identity information of the forwarding nodes visited by the received packet, wherein an egress path is identifiable based on the extracted identity information, the egress path comprising a series of next-hop devices from the source network device to the egress node, the series including the router.