Patent ID: 9019814
Filing Date: 2015-04-28
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving, by a first provider edge (PE) network device and from a second PE network device of a plurality of PE network devices that provide an active-standby configuration for an Ethernet segment coupling the plurality of PE network devices to a customer network, a first control plane message that indicates the reachability of the second PE network device as a designated forwarder in the Ethernet segment; receiving, by the first PE network device and from a third PE network device of the plurality of PE network devices, a second control plane message comprising information that indicates, in the event of a network failure at the second PE router identified as the designated forwarder of the layer two segment, that the third PE network device of the plurality of PE network devices is the designated forwarder in the layer two segment; forwarding, by the first PE network device, layer two frames to the second PE network device identified as the designated forwarder in the layer two segment; and responsive to determining a network failure at the second PE network device, configuring, by the first PE network device and based at least in part on the information of the second control plane message, a forwarding plane of the first PE network device to forward layer two frames to the third PE network device as the designated forwarder.