Methods and apparatus providing rapid end-to-end failover in a packet switched communications network

A hardware-based failover scheme enabling rapid end-to-end recovery is provided. Hardware logic periodically generates, transmits, receives, and processes heartbeat packets, sent from one end of the communications network to another, and then returned back. If a communications network node or communications link failure is being experienced along the transport path, then the hardware logic rapidly swaps the affected traffic conveyed to a pre-established backup transport path, typically within microseconds. Advantages are derived from the rapid failover effected end-to-end which enables continued delivery of provisioned communications services improving the resiliency and/or availability of a communications network.