Patent ID: 7860981

Claim:
A method comprising: establishing an Internet Protocol (IP) session between first and second network devices; establishing a Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) session within the established IP session between the first and second network devices; receiving, at the first network device, first data that does not include a BFD packet; in response to receiving the first data, resetting an inactivity timer at the first network device, where the inactivity timer is to track an amount of time after receiving data from the second network device; after resetting the inactivity timer, determining, at the first network device, that the inactivity timer indicates that a predetermined amount of time has passed since receiving the first data, where no data has been received from the second network device since receiving the first data; in response to the determining, sending, from the first network device, one or more BFD packets within the established BFD session to the second network device; receiving, at the first network device, second data from the second network device; and determining, in response to receiving the second data, that the established IP session is active based upon receiving the second data.