Data path retention during control plane failures in a multiprotocol label switching network

A network element configured for data path retention during control plane failures in a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network, the network element comprising:

• one or more line modules with associated ports;
• a switching fabric interconnecting the associated ports;
• and
• a controller communicatively coupled to the one or more line modules and the switching fabric, wherein the controller is configured to:
• operate an MPLS service on a data path via a port of the associated ports connected to the MPLS network in an initial stage with both a control plane and a data plane operating normally, responsive to a failure affecting only the control plane where the data plane remains operational, switch the MPLS service to an Ethernet Line (ELINE) service which is configured on the data path that is a same path as the MPLS service, the ELINE service being pre-configured to protect a tunnel of the MPLS service over the same path, wherein the MPLS service and the ELINE service are both connected to a Virtual Switch (VS) and associated ports of the VS are blocked and unblocked utilizing Virtual Link Loss Indication (VLLI) and inverse VLLI (iVLLI) based on a state of the control plane, and
• responsive to a recovery of the control plane, switch the ELINE service back to the MPLS service.

A Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network configured for data path retention during control plane failure, the MPLS network comprising:

• a plurality of physical network elements interconnected to one another, including a data path;
• and an MPLS service,
• wherein the MPLS service is configured between two Label Edge Routers (LERs) of the plurality of physical network elements via the data path and the MPLS service is in an initial stage with both a control plane and a data plane operating normally,
• wherein, responsive to a failure affecting only the control plane where the data plane remains operational, the MPLS service is switched to an Ethernet Line (ELINE) service which is configured on the data path that is a same path as the MPLS service, the ELINE service being pre-configured to protect a tunnel of the MPLS service over the same path wherein the MPLS service and the ELINE service are both connected to a Virtual Switch (VS) and associated ports of the VS are blocked and unblocked utilizing Virtual Link Loss Indication (VLLI) and inverse VLLI (iVLLI) based on a state of the control plane, and
• wherein, responsive to a recovery of the control plane, the ELINE service is switched back to the MPLS service.