Recovery time upon the failure of a link or switching system in an asynchronous data network can be minimized if downstream data switches provide upstream messages indicating to upstream switching system that the downstream traffic arrived in tact and was properly handled. Upon this loss or failure of the upstream status message to an upstream switching system, an upstream switching system can reroute data traffic around a failed link or failed switch with a minimal amount of lost data. The upstream status message is conveyed from a downstream switching system to an upstream switching system via a reverse notification tree data pathway.