System and method for advanced fail-over for packet label swapping

A method for increasing the delay time for an advanced fail-over packet label swapping for a packet network having a working path and a protection path, each of said working path and protection path interconnected by a near-end switch and a far-end switch comprising:

• provisioning said working path, protection path, near-end switch, and far-end switch with a failure counter delay;
• switching a data traffic from said working path to said protection path;
• monitoring heartbeat packets from said data traffic on said far-end switch of said protection path during a monitoring period to determine a number of packets that were not received by said far-end switch on said protection path during said monitoring period;
• determining if said determined number of packets exceeds a predetermined lost packet value for said failure counter delay;
• and
• responsive to said determined number of packets exceeding said predetermined lost packet value, delaying said monitoring for a period of time equal to said failure counter delay.

A system for advanced fail-over packet label swapping for a packet network having a working path and a protection path, each of said working path and protection path interconnected by a near-end switch and a far-end switch comprising:

• means for provisioning said working path, protection path, near-end switch, and far-end switch with a failure counter delay;
• means for monitoring heartbeat packets on one of said near-end switch and said far-end switch during a monitoring period to determine a number of packets that were not received by at least one of said switches during said monitoring period;
• means for determining if said determined number of packets exceeds a predetermined lost packet value for said failure counter delay;
• and
• responsive to said determined number of packets exceeding said predetermined lost packet value, means for delaying said monitoring for a period of time equal to said failure counter delay.