Patent ID: 8077726

Claim:
A router comprising: a routing protocol configured to maintain routing information in accordance with a topology of a network; a first interface port configured to engage a first physical link; a packet-forwarding engine (PFE) configured to output multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS) packets associated with a plurality of label switched paths (LSPs) onto the first physical link using the first interface port; and a packet-forwarding integrated circuit (IC) of the PFE comprising a control logic module and selector block configured with a value indicating a state of the first physical link, wherein the packet-forwarding IC is programmed to internally store a hardware version of a forwarding information base (FIB) in accordance with the routing information, the hardware version of the FIB including a plurality of entries addressable by the packet-forwarding IC, the entries identifying pairs of primary forwarding next hops and backup forwarding next hops for the LSPs, wherein the selector block of the packet-forwarding IC is configured to output one of the primary forwarding next hop and the backup forwarding next hop of the entries for forwarding the MPLS packets based on the value indicating the state of the first physical link in response to the control logic module addressing one of the entries of the FIB for the LSPs, and wherein the PFE forwards the MPLS packets to the one of the primary forwarding next hop and the backup forwarding next hop output by the selector block.