US Patent 11469995 Flow-specific fast rerouting of source routed packets

Various example embodiments relate generally to supporting flow-specific fast rerouting of source routed packets in communication networks. Various example embodiments for supporting flow-specific fast rerouting of source routed packets may be configured to support flow-specific fast rerouting of source routed packets based on use of various source routing protocols which may be based on various underlying communication protocols. Various example embodiments for supporting flow-specific fast rerouting of source routed packets in communication networks may be configured to support flow-specific fast rerouting of source routed packets by supporting use of a source routed packet including a payload and a header where the header encodes a set of hops of a primary path for the source routed packet and where the header also encodes a set of hops of a protection path configured to protect one of the hops of the primary path for the source routed packet.