TECHNIQUE FOR PROTECTING A LABEL SWITCHING PATH IN CONNECTED MODE DURING A FAULT AFFECTING A GIVEN NODE OF THE PATH

The invention relates to a technique for protecting a primary path with tag switching in connected mode during a fault affecting a given node (104) of said path in a tag switching communication network. The primary path has been established from upstream nodes to downstream nodes. The protection is effected by a multipoint-to-multipoint backup tag switching path in connected mode, established between neighbouring nodes (101, 102, 105, 107, 108) of the given node. The method of initiating a protection, implemented by a neighbouring node (101) belonging to said primary and backup paths is situated upstream of the given node in the primary path, termed the protector initiator node, comprises the following steps: - a step of selecting from among the plurality of the neighbouring nodes of the given node of one or more nodes situated downstream of the given node in the primary path termed protector nodes; - a step of dispatching a protection request to one of the protector nodes selected, said protection request indicating the primary path, the backup path and an identifier of said initiator protector node to be associated by the protector nodes in the guise of tag to the packets intended to be forwarded through one of the branches of the primary path linking the given node to one of the protector nodes and forwarded through the backup path during the fault, said dispatching step being repeated for all the protector nodes selected.