Patent ID: 8588081

Claim:
A method comprising: identifying, by a first maintenance end point, a flow set comprising a plurality of flows that utilize a plurality of paths from the first maintenance end point through one or more intermediate nodes to a second maintenance end point; generating a plurality of continuity check messages, each continuity check message formatted as a data packet that an intermediate node treats like a data packet instead of a maintenance packet, each continuity check message comprising a Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) header comprising a maintenance indicator; and transmitting the continuity check messages on the flows to allow the second maintenance end point to monitor the paths, the one or more second maintenance end points comprising one or more receiving endpoints configured to determine an expected number of the plurality of flows utilizing the plurality of paths and to detect a flow problem based on the expected number of the plurality of flows to be received on the plurality of paths and the continuity check messages received.