Patent ID: 8780696

Claim:
A method of routing packets in a telecommunications network between a first node and a destination node, the method comprising the steps of: determining a next hop in a shortest path between the first node and the destination node; computing a first maximally redundant tree and a second maximally redundant tree between the first node and the destination node, each of the first maximally redundant tree and the second maximally redundant tree providing an alternative path between the first node and the destination node, each alternative path sharing a minimal number of nodes with the other alternative path; detecting if a failure exists between the first node and the destination node; and if no failure exists, forwarding the packet along the shortest path between the first node and the destination node; if a failure exists, forwarding the packet via the first maximally redundant tree after encapsulating the packet using a first loopback address, the first loopback address identifying the destination node and identifying the first maximally redundant tree as the active forwarding tree; if a failure exists and the first maximally redundant tree is not available, forwarding the packet via the second maximally redundant tree after encapsulating the packet using a second loopback address, the second loopback address identifying the destination node and designating the second maximally redundant tree as the active forwarding tree; and further comprising the step of calculating next-hops only in either the first maximally redundant tree or the second maximally redundant tree instead of calculating a complete routing of the first maximally redundant tree or a complete routing of the second maximally redundant tree.