Abstract: Using alternate routes for fail-over in a communication network involves maintaining a preferred route and an alternate route in a routing table and routing protocol messages according to the alternate route when the preferred route is unavailable. A node obtains multiple routes for a destination, prioritizes the routes, and installs multiple routes in the routing table, including at least the preferred route and the alternate route. When the node receives a protocol message, the node searches the routing table for a highest priority route that is available for routing the protocol message, and routes the protocol message according to the highest priority route that is available for routing the protocol message. When a route becomes unavailable, the node updates the routing table to indicate that the route is unavailable, and may compute new routes and/or re-prioritize existing routes.