Service-based loss forwarding in communication networks

A network, comprising:

• a first network node comprising a first client interface configured to communicatively connect the first network node with a first client device, the first client interface being among a plurality of client interfaces that the first network node comprises,
• a second network node comprising a second client interface configured to communicatively connect the second network node with a second client device, and
• at least one database configured to store and permit retrieval of data to support operation of the network,
• wherein at least a portion of the data relates to an association between the first client interface and an end-to-end service between the first client device and the second client device, the end-to-end service being among a plurality of services that at least the first network node is configured to enable,
• wherein the network is configured to establish on the first network node a first Maintenance End Point (MEP) associated with the end-to-end service,
• wherein the network is configured to establish on the second network node a second Maintenance End Point (MEP) associated with the end-to-end service,
• wherein the network is configured so that each of the first MEP and the second MEP transmits at least one connectivity message to the other of the first MEP and the second MEP,
• wherein the network is configured to detect:
• a client interface fault corresponding to a situation in which a communication between the first network node and the first client device becomes inoperative, and
• a service fault corresponding to a situation in which a communication between the first network node and the second client device in relation to the end-to-end service becomes inoperative, the service fault based on at least one of:
• a content of at least one connectivity message received from the second MEP,
• at least one missing connectivity message from the second MEP,
• wherein the network is further configured to, in response to detecting the client interface fault;
• identify, using the at least one database, the end-to-end service as a service, from among the plurality of services, with respect to which there is the association with the first client interface,
• determine whether the identified end-to-end service is, according to the at least one database, subject to the service fault,
• if the determine step indicates that the identified end-to-end service is, according to the at least one database, not subject to the service fault, then:
• update the at least one database to indicate that the first client interface is subject to the detected client interface fault, and
• transmit information to the second MEP in response to the detected client interface fault, and
• thereafter further update the at least one database, once a recovery from the detected client interface fault is detected, to instead indicate that the first client interface is not subject to the detected client interface fault,
• if the determine step instead indicates that the identified end-to-end service is, according to the at least one database, subject to the service fault, then refrain from updating the at least one database to indicate that the first client interface is subject to the detected client interface fault,
• wherein the network is further configured to, in response to detecting the service fault:
• identify, using the at least one database, the first client interface as a client interface, from among the first plurality of client interfaces, with respect to which there is the association with the end-to-end service, and
• in response to the identification of the first client interface as the client interface with respect to which there is the association with the end-to-end service, carry out a predetermined action associated with the first client interface.

A method for loss forwarding in a network, the network comprising a first network node, a second network node, and at least one database configured to store and permit retrieval of data to support operation of the network, wherein an end-to-end service is established between a first client device, communicatively connected through a first client interface of the first network node among a plurality of first network node client interfaces, and a second client device, communicatively connected through a second client interface of the second network node, the end-to-end service being among a plurality of services that at least the first network node is configured to enable,

• wherein a first Maintenance End Point (MEP) corresponding to the end-to-end service is established on the first network node and a second MEP corresponding to the end-to-end service is established on the second network node, the first MEP and the second MEP each being configured to exchange connectivity messages with the other of the first MEP and the second MEP,
• said method comprising the following steps:
• monitoring for an occurrence of a client interface fault corresponding to a situation in which a communication between the first network node and the first client device becomes inoperative,
• in response to detecting the client interface fault, identifying, using information retrieved from the at least one database, the end-to-end service as a service, from among the plurality of services, with respect to which there is stored in the at least one database an association between the first client interface and the end-to-end service,
• determining whether the identified end-to-end service is, according to the at least one database, subject to a service fault,
• if the determining step indicates that the identified end-to-end service is, according to the at least one database, not subject to the service fault, then:
• updating the at least one database to indicate that the first client interface is subject to the detected client interface fault, and
• transmitting information to the second MEP in response to the detected client interface fault, and
• thereafter further update the at least one database, once a recovery from the detected client interface fault is detected, to instead indicate that the first client interface is not subject to the detected client interface fault,
• if the determining step instead indicates that the identified end-to-end service is, according to the at least one database, subject to the service fault, then refrain from updating the at least one database to indicate that the first client interface is subject to the detected dent interface fault,
• monitoring for an occurrence of the service fault corresponding to a situation in which a communication between the first network node and the second client device in relation to the end-to-end service becomes inoperative, wherein the monitoring for the occurrence of the service fault is based on at least one of:
• a content of at least one connectivity message received from the second MEP,
• at least one missing connectivity message from the second MEP,
• in response to detecting the occurrence of the service fault,
• identifying, using the at least one database, the first client interface as a client interface, from among the plurality of first network node client interfaces, with respect to which there is the association with the end-to-end service, and
• in response to the identification of the first client interface as the client interface with respect to which there is the association with the end-to-end service, carrying out a predetermined action associated with the first client interface.