Abstract: A router in accordance with the principles of the present invention employs explicit routing protocols to establish a plurality of explicitly routed label switched paths between source and sink routers. The sink router selects one of these explicitly routed paths as a primary path and communicates along that path. Upon a failure in a path selected as a primary path, a secondary path is instantaneously selected as the new primary path. Since the new route has already been established, there is no need to re-compute the path at the time of a failure. Consequently, a new path is rapidly established in response to the failure of a path. One of the new routers may employ physical level maintenance information, such as loss of signal (LOS) or loss of pointer (LOP), for example, to detect such path failures. Additionally, the new router may employ provisioned flow information to propagate path failure alarms.

Abstract: A router in accordance with the principles of the present invention employs explicit routing protocols to establish a plurality of explicitly routed label switched paths between source and sink routers. The sink router selects one of these explicitly routed paths as a primary path and communicates along that path. Upon a failure in a path selected as a primary path, a secondary path is instantaneously selected as the new primary path. Since the new route has already been established, there is no need to re-compute the path at the time of a failure. Consequently, a new path is rapidly established in response to the failure of a path. One of the new routers may employ physical level maintenance information, such as loss of signal (LOS) or loss of pointer (LOP), for example, to detect such path failures. Additionally, the new router may employ provisioned flow information to propagate path failure alarms.