METHOD FOR MONITORING THE TRANSMISSION QUALITY OF CONNECTIONS IN MPLS NETWORKS

摘要

The invention relates to a low-effort monitoring method of the transmission quality of connections in MPLS networks. Specially configured MPLS-OAM packets (MPLS-OAM-LAV packets) are defined and are periodically inserted into the traffic flow of user data packets at the source of a connection or a partial section of a connection, said MPLS-OAM-LAV packets being distinguishable from other MPLS-OAM packets and the MPLS packets carrying user data by a special mark. The information part of the MPLS-OAM-LAV packets contains a field receiving the number of MPLS packets that have been sent within a given period of time. Said tally is read out at the reception end (acceptor) and is compared with the number of actual packets received for said connection within the given period of time. The result serves as a criterion for lost and/or erroneously added packets.