A loopback detection mechanism for MPLS failures

With efficient failure detections, Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network can tolerate faults and ensure the quality of service (QoS). This paper proposes a mechanism named MPLS loopback detection (MLD) to inspect network failures. In the process of loopback failure detection, it measures the delay and record the number of sequential timeouts. According to the delay and timeout, it dynamically adjusts detection period so that the failure can be found in time with less detection packets. To support the implementation of MLD, the LOAM (loopback operation and maintenance) module is developed and integrated into the existing MPLS protocol module. Finally, the MLD is implemented on a Linux platform, and the experiments proved the mechanism worked effectively.