Fast reroute using loop free alternate next hops for multipoint label switched paths

A method comprising:

• establishing, with an upstream router using multicast extensions to Label Distribution Protocol (mLDP), a multipoint label switched path (LSP) between at least one root router and two or more leaf routers, the multipoint LSP including an intermediate router along a primary path between the upstream router and a downstream router;
• establishing, with the upstream router using Label Distribution Protocol (LDP), a point-to-point (P2P) LSP to the downstream router as a backup path between the upstream router and the downstream router, wherein the P2P LSP avoids the intermediate router of the multipoint LSP between the upstream router and the downstream router that is a protected node of the multipoint LSP;
• sending, by the upstream router using the mLDP, a next next hop label request to the intermediate router of the multipoint LSP, wherein the next next hop label request is a message that requests from the intermediate router a next next hop label that is allocated for the multipoint LSP by the downstream router, and wherein the downstream router is a next next hop router of the upstream router;
• in response to the next next hop label request, receiving, by the upstream router using the mLDP, the next next hop label allocated by the downstream router from the intermediate router;
• installing a primary next hop with an associated primary label for the primary path of the multipoint LSP into forwarding information of the upstream router, wherein the primary label includes a next hop label that is allocated for the multipoint LSP by the intermediate router;
• installing an alternate next hop with an associated alternate label stack for the backup path of the P2P LSP into the forwarding information of the upstream router, wherein the alternate label stack includes a P2P LSP label associated with the P2P LSP and the next next hop label associated with the multipoint LSP;
• forwarding multicast traffic from the upstream router toward the downstream router along the multipoint LSP according to the primary next hop with the primary label;
• and
• upon detecting a failure of the protected node of the multipoint LSP, tunneling the multicast traffic from the upstream router toward the downstream router along the P2P LSP according to the alternate next hop with the associated alternate label stack.

An upstream router of a multipoint label switched path (LSP) comprising:

• forwarding information that stores a primary next hop with an associated primary label for a primary path of the multipoint LSP and an alternate next hop with an associated alternate label stack for a backup path of a point-to-point (P2P) LSP;
• a control unit configured to:
• establish, using multicast extensions to Label Distribution Protocol (mLDP), the multipoint LSP between at least one root router and two or more leaf routers, the multipoint LSP including a direct link as the primary path between the upstream router and a downstream router,
• establish, using Label Distribution Protocol (LDP), the P2P LSP to the downstream router as the backup path between the upstream router and the downstream router, wherein the P2P LSP avoids the direct link between the upstream router and the downstream router that is a protected link of the multipoint LSP,
• establish, using the mLDP, a targeted adjacency session between the upstream router and the downstream router, wherein a targeted adjacency session label associated with the multipoint LSP is allocated for the targeted adjacency session by the downstream router,
• install the primary next hop with the associated primary label for the primary path of the multipoint LSP into the forwarding information, wherein the primary label includes the targeted adjacency session label associated with the multipoint LSP, and
• install the alternate next hop with the associated alternate label stack for the backup path of the P2P LSP into the forwarding information, wherein the alternate label stack includes a P2P LSP label associated with the P2P LSP and the targeted adjacency session label associated with the multipoint LSP;
• and
• one or more interface cards configured to:
• forward multicast traffic toward the downstream router along the multipoint LSP according to the primary next hop with the primary label, and
• upon the control unit detecting a failure of the protected link of the multipoint LSP, tunnel the multicast traffic toward the downstream router along the P2P LSP according to the alternate next hop with the associated alternate label stack.

An upstream router of a multipoint label switched path (LSP) comprising:

• forwarding information that stores a primary next hop with an associated primary label for a primary path of the multipoint LSP and an alternate next hop with an associated alternate label stack for a backup path of a point-to-point (P2P) LSP;
• a control unit configured to:
• establish, using multicast extensions to Label Distribution Protocol (mLDP), a multipoint LSP between at least one root router and two or more leaf routers, the multipoint LSP including an intermediate router along the primary path between the upstream router and a downstream router,
• establish, using Label Distribution Protocol (LDP), the P2P LSP to the downstream router as the backup path between the upstream router and the downstream router, wherein the P2P LSP avoids the intermediate router of the multipoint LSP between the upstream router and the downstream router that is a protected node of the multipoint LSP,
• send, using the mLDP, a next next hop label request to the intermediate router of the multipoint LSP, wherein the next next hop label request is a message that requests from the intermediate router a next next hop label that is allocated for the multicast LSP by the downstream router, wherein the downstream router is a next next hop router of the upstream router,
• in response to the next next hop label request, receive, using the mLDP, the next next hop label allocated by the downstream router from the intermediate router,
• install the primary next hop with the associated primary label for the primary path of the multipoint LSP into forwarding information of the upstream router, wherein the primary label includes a next hop label that is allocated for the multipoint LSP by the intermediate router, and
• install the alternate next hop with the associated alternate label stack for the backup path of the P2P LSP into the forwarding information, wherein the label stack includes a P2P LSP label associated with the P2P LSP and the next next hop label associated with the multipoint LSP;
• and
• one or more interface cards configured to:
• forward multicast traffic toward the downstream router along the multipoint LSP according to the primary next hop with the primary label, and
• upon the control unit detecting a failure of the protected node of the multipoint LSP, tunnel the multicast traffic toward the downstream router along the P2P LSP according to the alternate next hop with the associated alternate label stack.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising program instructions for causing a programmable processor to:

• establish, with an upstream router using multicast extensions to Label Distribution Protocol (mLDP), a multipoint label switched path (LSP) between at least one root router and two or more leaf routers, the multipoint LSP including a direct link as a primary path between the upstream router and a downstream router;
• establish, with the upstream router using Label Distribution Protocol (LDP), a point-to-point (P2P) LSP to the downstream router as a backup path between the upstream router and the downstream router, wherein the P2P LSP avoids the direct link between the upstream router and the downstream router that is a protected link of the multipoint LSP;
• establish, with the upstream router using the mLDP, a targeted adjacency session between the upstream router and the downstream router, wherein a targeted adjacency session label associated with the multipoint LSP is allocated for the targeted adjacency session by the downstream router;
• install a primary next hop with an associated primary label for the primary path of the multipoint LSP into forwarding information of the upstream router, wherein the primary label includes the targeted adjacency session label associated with the multipoint LSP;
• install an alternate next hop with an associated alternate label stack for the backup path of the P2P LSP into forwarding information of the upstream router, wherein the alternate label stack includes a P2P LSP label associated with the P2P LSP and the targeted adjacency session label associated with the multipoint LSP;
• forward multicast traffic from the upstream router toward the downstream router along the multipoint LSP according to the primary next hop with the primary label;
• and
• upon detecting a failure of the protected link of the multipoint LSP, tunnel the multicast traffic from the upstream router toward the downstream router along the P2P LSP according to the alternate next hop with the associated alternate label stack.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising program instructions for causing a programmable processor to:

• establish, with an upstream router using multipoint extensions to Label Distribution Protocol (mLDP), a multipoint label switched path (LSP) between at least one root router and two or more leaf routers, the multipoint LSP including an intermediate router along a primary path between the upstream router and a downstream router;
• establish, with the upstream router using Label Distribution Protocol (LDP), a point-to-point (P2P) LSP to the downstream router as a backup path between the upstream router and the downstream router, wherein the P2P LSP avoids the intermediate router of the multipoint LSP between the upstream router and the downstream router that is a protected node of the multipoint LSP;
• send, by the upstream router using the mLDP, a next next hop label request to the intermediate router of the multipoint LSP, wherein the next next hop label request is a message that requests from the intermediate router a next next hop label that is allocated for the multipoint LSP by the downstream router, and wherein the downstream router is a next next hop router of the upstream router;
• in response to the next next hop label request, receive, by the upstream router using the mLDP, the next next hop label allocated by the downstream router from the intermediate router;
• install a primary next hop with an associated primary label for the primary path of the multipoint LSP into forwarding information of the upstream router, wherein the primary label includes a next hop label that is allocated for the multipoint LSP by the intermediate router;
• install an alternate next hop with an associated alternate label stack for the backup path of the P2P LSP into the forwarding information of the upstream router, wherein the alternate label stack includes a P2P LSP label associated with the P2P LSP and the next next hop label associated with the multipoint LSP;
• forward multicast traffic from the upstream router toward the downstream router along the multipoint LSP according to a primary next hop with the primary label;
• and
• upon detecting a failure of the protected node of the multipoint LSP, tunnel the multicast traffic from the upstream router toward the downstream router along the P2P LSP according to the alternate next hop with the associated alternate label stack.