Patent ID: 7093027
Filing Date: 2006-08-15
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of providing connection protection in a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) based local edge stack, said method comprising the steps of: provisioning a main VLAN for a connection between a local edge switch and a remote switch; provisioning an alternative VLAN for said connection in each edge switch in said stack; switching, at edge switches on either side of a detected failed link, all protected traffic going through said failed link to said alternative VLAN, wherein if said connection begins on an edge switch that detected said link failure, switching protected traffic destined for said failed link to said alternative VLAN in response to detection of said link failure, and wherein if said connection does not begin on an edge switch that detected said link failure, modifying packets received over a network port on said main VLAN to said alternative VLAN and returning said modified packets over the same network port they were received over; and setting a flag in Hello packets on the edge switch that detected said failure before forwarding to said alternative VLAN, said flag for informing an edge switch at an opposite end of said connection to switch to said alternative VLAN.