In MPLS networks it is often required to validate the proper working of the data plane by sending and tracking test packets (probes). With LDP and RSVP as the current signalling protocols deployed in MPLS networks, one can only verify specific/selected links through the control plane or with dedicated probes directly attached to the corresponding routers.Source packet routing in networking (SPRING) provides an alternative method to signal transport labels in MPLS networks and offers an interesting approach to realize OAM functionality. With SPRING one could verify data plane operation in several segments by sending a single packet. Moreover, SPRING provides mechanisms to direct the packets to any link in the network independent of the position of the sender, which in turn reduces the number of probes required.
