Patent ID: 7948900

Claim:
A method for testing connectivity of a multi-segment pseudo-wire (“MS-PW”) in a network, the method comprising: sending an echo request message from a first provider edge (“PE”) device to a second device for a section of the MS-PW between the first PE device and the second PE device to confirm connectivity of the section of the MS-PW; identifying, with a processor, the echo request message by a control word contained therein, wherein an inner label of the echo request message has a time-to-live (“TTL”) value set to a number of segments in the section of the MS-PW and the TTL value determines whether the processor inspects the control word as it traverses the section of the MS-PW; upon the echo request message arriving at the second PE device, the second PE device recognizing the echo request message by inspecting the control word contained therein; and, receiving, in the first PE device, an echo reply message from the second PE device in response to the echo request message, the echo reply message confirming connectivity of the section of the MS-PW.