Ip fast reroute scheme offering full protection

Abstract

An IP fast reroute scheme offering full protection is disclosed for reducing the number of address lookups associated with a message packet. The IP fast reroute scheme offering full protection includes a router configured to forward the arriving packet to a next-hop neighbor node according to one of a first pointer and a second pointer associated to a destination node in a forwarding information table stored in a forwarding information memory storage; the first pointer is directed to a first next-hop neighbor node which is on the shortest path from the network node to the destination node; and the second pointer is directed to a second next-hop neighbor node different from the first next-hop neighbor node, the second next-hop neighbor node on a candidate cycle containing both the network node and the destination node having the greatest overlap with a sink tree rooted at the destination node. The IP fast reroute scheme offering full protection is particularly useful for providing full protection against single link and node failures with a simple method requiring no packet modifications.