Signaling co-routed and non co-routed LSPs of a bidirectional packet TE tunnel

A system comprising:

• a network interface connected to a network, the network interface adapted to receive a first path message transmitted by a head-end node over a forward direction path of a bidirectional tunnel of the network, the first path message including one or more objects used to set up and signal a reverse direction path of the bidirectional tunnel;
• a processor coupled to the network interface and adapted to execute one or more processes;
• and
• a memory configured to store the one or more processes executable by the processor, the one or more processes when executed operable to:
• signal an explicit route object (ERO) specified in the first path message in the event the first path message specifies an ERO;
• and
• compute and signal a reverse path message in the event the ERO is not present, an Association Type is specified as non co-routed in an Extended Association object within the first path message and a record route object (RRO) is not present in the first path message.

One or more computer readable storage media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions and when the software is executed operable to:

• receive, at a tail-end node of a bidirectional tunnel, a first path message transmitted by a head-end node over a forward direction path of the bidirectional tunnel, the first path message including one or more objects used to set up and signal a reverse direction path of the bidirectional tunnel;
• signal an explicit route object (ERO) specified in the first path message in the event the first path message specifies an ERO;
• and
• computing and signaling a reverse path message in the event the ERO is not present, an Association Type specified as non co-routed in an Extended Association object within the first path message and a record route object (RRO) is not present in the first path message.