Patent ID: 8457004

Claim:
A method comprising: analyzing, via a processor, packet flows for bitstreams associated with a network node in order to compute a measure of protection that a queue of the network node gives to a high-priority one of the bitstreams relative to a low-priority one of the bitstreams, wherein the measure of protection is based on priority markings for packets flowing through the network node and respective committed data rates, wherein the network node is one of a provider edge router transmitting the bitstreams to a customer edge router and the customer edge router transmitting the bitstreams to the provider edge router; using the measure of protection to determine whether the network node is a source of a protection error with respect to the priority markings for the packets; computing a matrix of protection values for respective bitstreams between a plurality of customer edge routers and passing through a plurality of provider edge routers; inspecting one of a row and a column of the matrix to find one of a lack of protection from a single source to multiple destinations indicating that one of the plurality of customer edge routers is the source of the protection error, and a lack of protection from multiple sources to a single destination indicating that one of the plurality of provider edge routers is the source of the protection error; and generating an alarm upon at least one of determining that the network node is the source of the protection error with respect to the priority markings for the packets and finding the lack of protection.