Patent ID: 8509062

Claim:
A telecommunications system comprising a network for transporting Ethernet packets on a path between selected subscriber end points, said network having multiple nodes connected by links, with each intermediate node, (a) pairing a unidirectional connection-oriented MPLS-Label-switched forward path and a unidirectional connection-oriented MPLS-Label-switched backward path, both said forward and backward paths reaching the same subscriber end points of a connection and configured to use the same set of nodes and links, wherein each intermediate node comprises a hairpin between the forward and backward paths, and (b) allowing for the injection of control messages in said backward path from any intermediate node in the path via the hairpin without said control messages needing to hold additional information about said forward and backward paths due to said pairing and without needing to consult a higher OSI layer or involving a transit end comprising one of the subscriber end points, wherein each intermediate node comprises one or more rules assigned to an ingress interface of the node, wherein the one or more rules identify specific packets to be acted on using ingress matching criteria associated with the one or more rules, and wherein the specific packets to be acted on are looped-back via the hairpin using action mechanisms associated with the one or more rules, wherein the one or more rules comprise one or more of a rule that sends traffic out a specific egress interface to a downstream node regardless of bit pattern, a rule that sends traffic with a unique bit pattern out the hairpin to an upstream node, and a rule that sends traffic with the unique bit pattern out an interface to a test device, and wherein the one or more rules are selectively enabled and disabled to look for and act on specific types of control messages.