Patent ID: 7697505

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving, at an intermediate network node of a packet-switched communications network, a plurality of reported costs from a corresponding plurality of neighboring nodes that are linked to the intermediate network node, wherein a reported cost from a corresponding neighboring node is a measure of cost for transmitting data packets to a particular destination node in the network through the corresponding neighboring node; determining a plurality of total costs for the corresponding plurality of neighboring nodes, wherein a total cost for a corresponding neighboring node is a sum of a measure of cost for transmitting data packets to the corresponding neighboring node plus a reported cost from the corresponding neighboring node, wherein a selected one of the plurality of the total costs is sent via control plane messages that include successor data indicative of a loop free alternative path to the particular destination node, and wherein the successor data includes information used to determine specific neighbors to query when a specific route in the network is lost; determining a route to the particular destination by selecting a neighboring node of the plurality of neighboring nodes having a lowest total cost.