US Patent 7315510 Method and apparatus for detecting MPLS network failures

Recovery time upon the failure of a link or switching system in an asynchronous data network can be minimized if downstream data switches can provide upstream messages to upstream switching systems indicating to upstream switching systems that the downstream traffic arrived in tact and was properly handled. In one embodiment, the loss or failure of the upstream status message to an upstream switching system, causes an upstream switching system to reroute data traffic around a failed link or failed switch with a minimal amount of lost data.