Patent ID: 7336615

Claim:
A method for testing a label switched path, the method comprising: a) performing a first test including testing a data plane from an ingress node of the label switched path to an egress node of the label switch path, over the label switched path, together with a data plane from the egress node of the label switched path back to the ingress node of the label switch path; b) determining whether or not the first test was passed; c) if it is determined that the first test was not passed, and if a control plane of the label switched path is alive, then performing a second test including testing the data plane from the ingress node of the label switched path to the egress node of the label switch path, over the label switched path, together with the control plane from the egress node of the label switched path back to the ingress node of the label switch path, wherein if the second test was not passed, then indicating that the data plane of the label switched path is down.