Methods, systems, and computer program products for pushing and/or popping multiple multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) labels/shim headers at a single node

A system for operating a multiprotocol label switching network, comprising:

• means for pushing a plurality of multiprotocol label switching shim headers simultaneously onto a packet at a node;
• means for replicating the packet at the node to obtain a plurality of packets for transmission on a plurality of paths associated with a plurality of nodes, respectively, wherein each of the plurality of packets is to be transmitted to a different ultimate destination;
• means for popping at least one multiprotocol label switching shim header from respective ones of the plurality of packets at the node, the at least one multiprotocol label switching shim header corresponding to at least one of the plurality of nodes that is not associated with one of the plurality of paths for which one of the plurality of packets comprising the at least one multiprotocol label switching shim header is destined for transmission;
• and
• means for transmitting the plurality of packets on the plurality of paths to the different ultimate destinations, respectively.

A computer program product for operating a multiprotocol label switching 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 push a plurality of multiprotocol label switching shim headers simultaneously onto a packet at a node;
• computer readable program code configured to replicate the packet at the node to obtain a plurality of packets for transmission on a plurality of paths associated with a plurality of nodes, respectively, wherein each of the plurality of packets is to be transmitted to a different ultimate destination;
• computer readable program code configured to pop at least one multiprotocol label switching shim header from respective ones of the plurality of packets at the node, the at least one multiprotocol label switching shim header corresponding to at least one of the plurality of nodes that is not associated with one of the plurality of paths for which one of the plurality of packets comprising the at least one multiprotocol label switching shim header is destined for transmission;
• and
• computer readable program code configured to transmit the plurality of packets on the plurality of paths to the different ultimate destinations, respectively.

A method of transmitting a multicast communication over a multiprotocol label switching network, the method comprising:

• receiving a packet containing at least part of the multicast communication;
• pushing a plurality of multiprotocol label switching shim headers simultaneously onto the packet at a node;
• replicating the packet at the node to obtain at least a first packet that is to transmitted via the multiprotocol label switching network to a first destination node via a first transmission path and a second packet that is to transmitted via the multi protocol label switching network to a second destination node via a second transmission path;
• popping from the first packet one of the plurality of multiprotocol label switching shim headers that corresponds to the second destination node at the node;
• and
• transmitting the first packet on its way to the first destination node via the first transmission path and transmitting the second packet on its way to the second destination node via the second transmission path.