Patent ID: 8451715
Filing Date: 2013-05-28
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving a layer two (L2) packet from a first backbone virtual local area network (VLAN) of a provider backbone bridged network (PBBN) that provides connectivity between multiple provider bridge networks (PBNs), wherein the L2 packet is received by a first one of a plurality of access switches that provide bridging to the PBBN from a multi-homed one of the PBNs, each of the plurality of access switches of the multi-homed PBN being coupled to a customer network by a different one of a plurality of links; detecting, with the first one of the access switches, a failure of one of the plurality of links within the multi-homed PBN; in response to the link failure, forwarding the L2 packet via a second backbone VLAN to redirect the L2 packet from the first one of the access switches of the multi-homed PBN to a second one of the access switches; constraining L2 learning of the first switch to prevent updating MAC tables based on a MAC address of the redirected L2 packet when forwarding the L2 packet via the second backbone VLAN; and processing the L2 packet with the second one of the access switches to egress the L2 packet from the second backbone VLAN and forward the L2 packet to a L2 customer network via the multi-homed PBN.