Patent ID: 8284678

Claim:
A computerized method performed by a first network element, the method comprising: detecting, with the first network element according to a first protocol, a fault state change of a local maintenance endpoint, wherein a connectivity status of the local maintenance endpoint is active in response to the first network element periodically receiving connectivity check messages of the first protocol generated by the local maintenance endpoint, and is not active in response to a lack of connectivity check messages received from the local maintenance endpoint, and wherein detecting the fault state change includes detecting the connectivity status of the local maintenance endpoint changing between not active and active; creating a fault state change message according to a second protocol based on the detected fault state change; and sending the fault state change message according to the second protocol to a second network element that proxies connectivity check messages of the first protocol to remote maintenance endpoints and maintains a database that represents the connectivity status of the local maintenance endpoint, wherein the first and second protocols are different, and wherein sending the fault state change message includes sending the fault state change message in response to the connectivity status of the local maintenance end point changing from not active to active instead of forwarding the connectivity check messages periodically received by the first network element to the remote maintenance endpoints wherein the first network element and the second network element are included in the same domain.