Patent ID: 8160055

Claim:
A method of classifying paths in a network configured to transmit message traffic, the method comprising: identifying a pseudowire between a source forwarding entity and a destination forwarding entity, the pseudowire defining a path including at least one intermediate forwarding entity and a plurality of pseudowire segments; encapsulating message traffic in a layer 2 packet for tunneling via the pseudowire using the plurality of pseudowire segments; initiating a first probe message sent to the at least one intermediate forwarding entity via a first pseudowire segment of the plurality of pseudowire segments; initiating at least one successive probe message sent from the at least one intermediate forwarding entity to at least one second pseudowire segment of the plurality of pseudowire segments; receiving a response message indicative of a health of the pseudowire from the at least one intermediate forwarding entity; and computing the health of the pseudowire based on a reachability of the at least one intermediate forwarding entity on the path defined by the plurality of pseudowire segments.