Patent ID: 8879384

Claim:
A method of detecting upstream source failure in a point to multi-point network, the multi-point network including a source node configured to send data through a first node to reach a downstream node, the method comprising: receiving first control packets, by the first node, from the source node, the first control packets indicating the status of the source node, the status including an indication of whether the source node is reachable; determining, at the first node, if the source node is operational and if a connection path between the first node and the source node is operational based on the received first control packets; and sending a second control packet from the first node to the downstream node, if one of (1) the source node is non-operational, and (2) the connection is non-operational, the second control packet including at least one value indicating the source node is unreliable and instructing the downstream node to switch from a first path between the downstream node and the source node to an alternative path between the downstream node and the source node.