Patent ID: 8254271

Claim:
A method comprising: establishing parameters for a connectivity-verification session between a first node and at least one receiving node in a network, wherein the connectivity-verification session is configured to verify connectivity between the first node and the at least one receiving node in accordance with the established parameters, and wherein the parameters include an indication of at least one action for the at least one receiving node to perform if the at least one receiving node does not receive one or more verification-request messages from the first node in accordance with the parameters during the connectivity-verification session; sending, during the connectivity-verification session, at least one of the one or more verification-request messages from the first node to the at least one receiving node in accordance with the established parameters during the connectivity-verification session; receiving, during the connectivity-verification session, at least one verification-reply message from the at least one receiving node at the first node, the at least one verification-reply message indicative of a determination by the at least one receiving node of whether to send the at least one verification-reply message to the first node, wherein the determination comprises: a determination to send the at least one verification-reply message if the at least one receiving node does not receive any of the one or more verification-request messages in accordance with the established parameters; and a determination not to send the at least one verification-reply message if the at least one receiving node receives at least one of the one or more verification-request messages in accordance with the established parameters; and periodically re-establishing the parameters for the connectivity-verification session between the first node and the at least one receiving node in the network.