Patent ID: 8976682
Filing Date: 2015-03-10
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method, comprising: receiving a packet at a maintenance intermediate point (MIP) along a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) label switched path (LSP) that extends from a first maintenance end point (MEP) to a second MEP; decrementing a time-to-live (TTL) value in a header of the packet; when the TTL value in the header of the packet equals zero, examining an associated channel header (ACH) field in an operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) message stored in a payload of the packet; determining a particular OAM function to perform at the receiving MIP based on an OAM code in the ACH field, wherein the OAM code comprises one of a type code or an operation code, and wherein the OAM message in the payload comprises an ACH field and a second TTL field; and performing the particular OAM function by the receiving MIP.