Patent ID: 8165016

Claim:
A method for setting communication paths between an initial node and a terminal node that are connected to each other through one or more intermediate nodes in a network, the method comprising: determining two path setting sides on which two different communication paths each connecting the initial node and the terminal node are to be set, respectively; creating two path setting messages for setting the two different communication paths between the initial node and the terminal node through the one or more intermediate nodes, the two path setting messages each including: path switch default direction information identifying one of the two path setting sides on which a working path is to be set in an initial state, a wait-to-restore timer value, and a mode identifier identifying a revertive mode in which a first communication path set on a first path setting side identified by the path switch default direction information is operated as a working path in the initial state, a second communication path set on a second path setting side that is the other one of the two path setting sides is operated as a working path upon occurrence of a fault on the first path setting side, and the first communication path set on the first path setting side is again operated as a working path when no faults have occurred during a time period indicated by the wait-to-restore timer value after recovery of the fault on the first path setting side; concurrently transmitting first and second path setting messages for setting the first and second communication paths, respectively, from the initial node to the terminal node through the one or more intermediate nodes; identifying the first communication path that is to be operated as a working path in the initial state, using the path switch default direction information included in the received first and second path setting messages; setting, to the terminal node, the identified first communication path before setting the second communication path, independently of arriving order of the first and second path setting messages, wherein first and second response messages indicating completion of setting the first and second communication paths, respectively, are transmitted from the terminal node to the initial node through the one or more intermediate nodes, in the order of the first and second response messages independently of arriving order of the first and second path setting messages; and setting, to the initial node, the first communication path before setting the second communication path, independently of arriving order of the first and second response messages from the terminal node, so that the first communication path is established between the initial node and the terminal node prior to the second communication path.