Patent ID: 6501756
Filing Date: 2002-12-31
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method of managing a hop-count of a label switched path in a network, the label switched path being configured by a plurality of nodes for performing a label switching operation on a packet by using an input label and an output label assigned to a packet stream including the packet, said method comprising steps of:determining, by each of the plurality of nodes, whether or not said each of the plurality of nodes is to update information included in the packet when performing the label switching operation on the packet, the information being to represent how many nodes through which the packet has passed; transmitting, by each of a first type of nodes among the plurality of nodes which determine not to update said information, when said each of the first type of nodes is notified of a hop-count regarding the label switched path by a first neighboring node on one of an upstream side and a downstream side of said each of the first type of nodes, a first message including an incremented hop-count obtained by incrementing the hop-count notified regarding the label switched path, to a second neighboring node on another one of the upstream side and the downstream side; and transmitting, by each of a second type of nodes among the plurality of nodes which determine to update said information, a second message indicating that said each of the second type of nodes is to update said information, to the second neighboring node.