Patent ID: 7881207

Claim:
A method for transferring data in a packet-based network, the method comprising: receiving at a loop-back node at least a first data frame, the first data frame being associated with a first origination node and a first destination node; processing information associated with the first data frame; determining whether the first data frame satisfies at least one predetermined condition based on at least the information associated with the first data frame; if the first data frame is determined to satisfy the at least one predetermined condition, providing a second data frame based on at least the information associated with the first data frame, the second data frame being associated with a second origination node and a second destination node; sending the second data frame to the second destination node; wherein the first destination node and the second destination node are different, wherein the first data frame includes a first header, the first header including a first source address, a first destination address, and a first indicator indicating the first data frame is a customer payload data frame, wherein the second data frame includes a second header, the second data frame including a second source address, a second destination address, and a second indicator indicating the second data frame is a loop-back customer payload frame, and wherein the second indicator corresponds to an OpCode.