Smart ethernet edge networking system

A telecommunications method comprising

• transporting Ethernet packets through a network on a path between selected subscriber end points, said network having multiple nodes connected by links, and
• at each intermediate node (a) pairing unidirectional connection-oriented MPLS-Label-switched forward and backward paths of a connection, (b) configuring said forward and backward paths to use the same set of nodes and links, wherein each intermediate node comprises a hairpin between the forward and backward paths, and (c) allowing for the injection of control messages in the backward direction of a connection from any intermediate node in the path via the hairpin without said control messages needing to hold additional information about said forward and backward paths due to said pairing and without consulting a higher OSI layer or involving a transit end comprising one of the subscriber end points,
• wherein each intermediate node comprises one or more rules assigned to an ingress interface of the node, wherein the one or more rules identify specific packets to be acted on using ingress matching criteria associated with the one or more rules, and wherein the specific packets to be acted on are looped-back via the hairpin using action mechanisms associated with the one or more rules,
• wherein the one or more rules comprise one or more of a rule that sends traffic out a specific egress interface to a downstream node regardless of bit pattern, a rule that sends traffic with a unique bit pattern out the hairpin to an upstream node, and a rule that sends traffic with the unique bit pattern out an interface to a test device, and
• wherein the one or more rules are selectively enabled and disabled to look for and act on specific types of control messages.

An Ethernet network comprising

• multiple nodes connected by links, two of said multiple nodes comprising subscriber end points transporting Ethernet packets on a path;
• wherein one or more of said multiple nodes comprise intermediate nodes on said path, each intermediate node configured to perform steps of:
• pairing a unidirectional connection-oriented forward path and a unidirectional connection-oriented backward path providing bi-directional transport of said Ethernet packets on said path,
• ensuring both said forward and backward paths reaching the same subscriber end points using a same set of nodes and links, wherein each intermediate node comprises a hairpin between the forward and backward paths, and
• injecting control messages in said backward path from any intermediate node in the path via the hairpin to provide continuity check of said forward and backward paths without said control messages needing to hold additional information about said forward and backward paths due to said pairing and said ensuring and without needing to consult a higher layer or involving a transit end comprising one of the subscriber end points;
• wherein each intermediate node comprises one or more rules assigned to an ingress interface of the node, wherein the one or more rules identify specific packets to be acted on using ingress matching criteria associated with the one or more rules, and wherein the specific packets to be acted on are looped-back via the hairpin using action mechanisms associated with the one or more rules,
• wherein the one or more rules comprise one or more of a rule that sends traffic out a specific egress interface to a downstream node regardless of bit pattern, a rule that sends traffic with a unique bit pattern out the hairpin to an upstream node, and a rule that sends traffic with the unique bit pattern out an interface to a test device, and
• wherein the one or more rules are selectively enabled and disabled to look for and act on specific types of control messages.