Patent ID: 8848519

Claim:
A method in a first network element for MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) fast re-route using LDP (Label Distribution Protocol), wherein the first network element is one of a plurality of network elements in an MPLS network, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a first label advertised from a second network element in the MPLS network; computing a shortest path tree (SPT) to reach a destination network element under a selected failure condition that may potentially occur on the MPLS network, wherein the second network element is a nexthop of the first network element in the computed SPT and is not upstream from the selected failure condition; advertising a second label to a set of one or more third network elements for a backup LDP LSP (Label Switched Path) that will serve as a backup when the selected failure condition is realized, wherein the set of third network elements are upstream neighbor network elements on the computed SPT with respect to the first network element; and installing a swap action from the second label to the first label.