Patent ID: 7733783

Claim:
A method of improving network availability in a segmented network, comprising the steps of: selecting a source network segment including a source node; selecting a destination network segment including a plurality of destination nodes; periodically transmitting a test message over a plurality of communication links from the source node in communication with the source network segment to the plurality of destination nodes, each of the plurality of destination nodes being in communication with the destination network segment; generating, for each of the plurality of destination nodes, a return message to be transmitted to the source node if the test message is received at the destination node; determining, at the source node in the source network segment, the status of each of the plurality of communication links in response to the return messages generated by the plurality of destination nodes in the destination network segment, wherein determining the status comprises indicating a fault in one of said one or more paths if said source node does not receive at least a predetermined number of return messages from said destination nodes in response to a predetermined number of test messages transmitted to said destination nodes; and transmitting the determined status of each of the plurality of communication links from the source node in the source network segment to each of the plurality of destination nodes in the destination network segment that generated the return message.