Method and apparatus for providing virtual circuit protection and traffic validation

摘要

An approach provides virtual circuit protection. Traffic is received at a network interface device configured to interface an Ethernet virtual circuit of a service provider transport network over a user network interface (UNI). The network interface device is configured as a demarcation point between a customer network and the service provider transport network. Circuit replication is performed over the virtual circuit to create a plurality of communication paths over the virtual circuit by assigning respective tags for independently switching the traffic over the communication paths. One of the communication paths is designated as a standby communication path.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
receiving traffic at a network interface device configured to interface an Ethernet virtual circuit of a service provider transport network over a user network interface (UNI), wherein the network interface device is configured as a demarcation point between a customer network and the service provider transport network; performing circuit replication over the virtual circuit to create a plurality of communication paths over the virtual circuit by assigning respective tags to create duplicate traffic streams for the virtual circuit, wherein the plurality of communication paths of the virtual circuit are associated with a common network interface device on both a transmission side and a destination side, wherein the tags are inserted into the duplicate traffic streams for independently switching the duplicate traffic streams over the plurality of communication paths of the virtual circuit, wherein the plurality of communication paths of the virtual circuit connect to a host network via a first single common router on a host side, and connect to a user network via second common router on an end user side.