Methods, systems, and computer program products for detecting and/or correcting faults in a multiprotocol label switching network by using redundant paths between nodes

A system for detecting a fault in a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) network, comprising:

• means for communicating packets between a first node and a second node in the MPLS network using a first label switch path (LSP) pair;
• means for detecting a failure in the first LSP by not having received a constant rate of packets during a predetermined time interval;
• means for sending packets from the first node to the second node using a second LSP pair responsive to detecting the failure;
• and
• means for sending packets from the second node to the first node using the second LSP pair responsive to receiving packets at the second node on the second LSP pair.

A computer program product for detecting a fault in a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) network, comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising:
• computer readable program code configured to communicate packets between a first node and a second node in the MPLS network using a first label switch path (LSP) pair;
• computer readable program code configured to detect a failure in the first LSP by not having received a constant rate of packets during a predetermined time interval;
• computer readable program code configured to send packets from the first node to the second node using a second LSP pair responsive to detecting the failure;
• and
• computer readable program code configured to send packets from the second node to the first node using the second LSP pair responsive to receiving packets at the second node on the second LSP pair.

A method of detecting a fault in a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) network, comprising:

• sending echo request packets from a first node to a second node in the MPLS network using a first label switch path (LSP);
• sending echo response packets from the second node to the first node using a plurality of communication paths;
• and
• recognizing a failure in the first LSP if the number of echo request packets for which no response packet was received exceeds a threshold.

A system for detecting a fault in a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) network, comprising:

• means for sending echo request packets from a first node to a second node in the MPLS network using a first label switch path (LSP);
• means for sending echo response packets from the second node to the first node using a plurality of communication paths;
• and
• means for recognizing a failure in the first LSP if the number of echo request packets for which no response packet was received exceeds a threshold.

A computer program product for detecting a fault in a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) network, comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising:
• computer readable program code configured to send echo request packets from a first node to a second node in the MPLS network using a first label switch path (LSP);
• computer readable program code configured to send echo response packets from the second node to the first node using a plurality of communication paths;
• and
• computer readable program code configured to recognize a failure in the first LSP if a difference between a number of echo request packets sent from the first node and a number of response packets received at the first node exceeds a threshold.