Pseudowire protection using a standby pseudowire

1. A method of providing protection to network traffic, comprising:

sending a Pseudowire protection configuration parameter for configuring a standby Pseudowire between a source node and a destination node, the Pseudowire protection configuration parameter indicating a protection property associated with the standby Pseudowire, the protection property including a priority for the standby Pseudowire;

receiving a Pseudowire configuration acknowledgement indicating whether the Pseudowire protection configuration parameter has been accepted by the destination node;

accepting the Pseudowire protection configuration parameter by the destination node;

using the standby Pseudowire that is configured based at least in part on the Pseudowire protection configuration parameter; and

determining whether to preempt existing traffic on the standby Pseudowire, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on the priority for the standby Pseudowire.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the standby Pseudowire is configured to provide protection to at least one primary Pseudowire.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the standby Pseudowire is configured to provide protection to at least one primary Pseudowire, and in the event that the primary Pseudowire fails to transfer network traffic, switching network traffic from at least one of said at least one primary Pseudowire to the standby Pseudowire.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the standby Pseudowire is dynamically selected from a plurality of connections.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the protection property further includes at least one of a domain type, a protection type or a protection scheme.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the Pseudowire protection configuration parameter is established using the Label Distribution Protocol (LDP).

7. A method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the domain type indicates whether the standby Pseudowire is configured in a single-hop environment where the standby Pseudowire includes a plurality of nodes coupled to a same carrier network, or a multi-hop environment where the standby Pseudowire includes a plurality of nodes coupled to several carrier networks.

8. A method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the protection scheme indicates at least one of the following:

a 1+1 protection scheme, wherein the same traffic is sent over two Pseudowires;

a 1:1 protection scheme, wherein one standby Pseudowire is used to protect another Pseudowire;

a 1:N protection scheme, wherein one standby Pseudowire is used to protect N other Pseudowires; or

an M:N protection scheme, wherein M standby Pseudowires are used to protect N other Pseudowires.

9. A system for providing protection to network traffic, comprising:

a processor configured to:

send a Pseudowire protection configuration parameter for configuring a standby Pseudowire between a source node and a destination node, the Pseudowire protection configuration parameter indicating a protection property associated with the standby Pseudowire, the protection property including a priority for the standby Pseudowire;

receive a Pseudowire configuration acknowledgement indicating whether the Pseudowire protection configuration parameter has been accepted by the destination node;

accept the Pseudowire protection configuration parameter by the destination node;

use the standby Pseudowire that is configured based at least in part on the Pseudowire protection configuration parameter; and

determine whether to preempt existing traffic on the standby Pseudowire, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on the priority for the standby Pseudowire.

10. A system as recited in claim 9 , wherein the standby Pseudowire is configured to provide protection to at least one primary Pseudowire.

11. A system as recited in claim 9 , wherein the protection property further includes at least one of a domain type, a protection type or a protection scheme.

12. A system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the domain type indicates whether the standby Pseudowire is configured in a single-hop environment where the standby Pseudowire includes a plurality of nodes coupled to a same carrier network, or a multi-hop environment where the standby Pseudowire includes a plurality of nodes coupled to several carrier networks.

13. A system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the protection scheme indicates at least one of the following:

a 1+1 protection scheme, wherein the same traffic is sent over two Pseudowires;

a 1:1 protection scheme, wherein one standby Pseudowire is used to protect another Pseudowire;

a 1:N protection scheme, wherein one standby Pseudowire is used to protect N other Pseudowires; or

an M:N protection scheme, wherein M standby Pseudowires are used to protect N other Pseudowires.

14. A computer program product for configuring a Pseudowire between a source node and a destination node, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

sending a Pseudowire protection configuration parameter for configuring a standby Pseudowire between a source node and a destination node, the Pseudowire protection configuration parameter indicating a protection property associated with the standby Pseudowire, the protection property including a priority for the standby Pseudowire;

receiving a Pseudowire configuration acknowledgement indicating whether the Pseudowire protection configuration parameter has been accepted by the destination node;

accept the Pseudowire protection configuration parameter by the destination node;

using the standby Pseudowire that is configured based at least in part on the Pseudowire protection configuration parameter; and

determining whether to preempt existing traffic on the standby Pseudowire, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on the priority for the standby Pseudowire.

15. A computer program product as recited in claim 14 , wherein the protection property further includes at least one of a domain type, a protection type or a protection scheme.

16. A computer product as recited in claim 15 , wherein the domain type indicates whether the standby Pseudowire is configured in a single-hop environment where the standby Pseudowire includes a plurality of nodes coupled to a same carrier network, or a multi-hop environment where the standby Pseudowire includes a plurality of nodes coupled to several carrier networks.

17. A computer product as recited in claim 15 , wherein the protection scheme indicates at least one of the following:

a 1+1 protection scheme, wherein the same traffic is sent over two Pseudowires;

a 1:1 protection scheme, wherein one standby Pseudowire is used to protect another Pseudowire;

a 1:N protection scheme, wherein one standby Pseudowire is used to protect N other Pseudowires; or

an M:N protection scheme, wherein M standby Pseudowires are used to protect N other Pseudowires.