Patent ID: 8520509
Filing Date: 2013-08-27
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A communication system comprising: a first Provider Edge device adapted to be connected to a backbone network; a first Customer Edge device providing a primary connection to the backbone network, the first Provider Edge device being adapted to route data traffic between the first Customer Edge device and the backbone network via a primary route, and the first Customer Edge device being adapted to be in an active state or an inactive state, in which inactive state the first Customer Edge device is disabled for any routing, and the system is adapted to provide a secondary connection to the backbone network via a secondary route; control means for setting the state of the first Customer Edge device; monitoring means for monitoring the data traffic between the first Provider Edge device and the first Customer Edge device; and detection means for detecting when the data traffic flow between the first Provider Edge device and the first Customer Edge device decreases and stays below a certain level during a first time period in order to detect failure of the data traffic of the first Customer Edge device, wherein the control means is adapted to set the state of the first Customer Edge device to the inactive state when failure of the data traffic of the first Customer Edge device is detected by means of the detection means, whereupon the system is adapted to provide the secondary connection to the backbone network via the secondary route, wherein the first Customer Edge device is adapted to be in a Hot Standby Router Protocol state which is inactive or active, and wherein the control means is adapted to set the Hot Standby Router Protocol state of the first Customer Edge device.