Patent ID: 8451717

Claim:
A method for enabling switchover from a first multicast tree to a second multicast tree at a node, the method comprising: detecting a failure of the first multicast tree at the node, the node comprising: a first MPLS LABEL Record comprising a first tree identifier of the first multicast tree and a first parameter; a second MPLS LABEL Record comprising a second tree identifier of the second multicast tree and a second parameter; and a MULTICAST Record comprising a plurality of primary tree identifiers and a plurality of standby tree identifiers; and switching the second parameter of the second MPLS LABEL Record from a first value to a second value based on detection of the failure of the first multicast tree, the first and second values indicative of respective first and second packet processing rules to be applied for determining whether to accept or discard packets received at the node via the second multicast tree, wherein the first packet processing rule is indicative that the second tree identifier of the second MPLS LABEL Record is to be compared to the primary tree identifiers of the MULTICAST Record and the second packet processing rule is indicative that the second tree identifier of the second MPLS LABEL Record is to be compared to the primary tree identifiers and the secondary tree identifiers of the MULTICAST Record.