Patent ID: 8730956

Claim:
A method in a hybrid node operating first and second bridging protocols for an incremental transitioning of nodes in a network from the first bridging protocol to the second bridging protocol, wherein said nodes are coupled to end stations, wherein the first bridging protocol shares Media Access Control (MAC) addresses of end stations amongst all nodes in the network and end stations directly coupled to each other with the first bridging protocol, the method comprising the steps of: operating the first bridging protocol on a first set of one or more of a plurality of ports of the hybrid node, wherein the first set of ports are coupled to one or more nodes operating the first bridging protocol and not the second bridging protocol; operating the second bridging protocol on a second set of one or more of the plurality of ports of the hybrid node; responsive to receiving a first unicast packet on one of the first set of ports that includes a destination MAC address that is unknown to the hybrid node, broadcasting the first unicast packet out the second set of ports; responsive to receiving a second unicast packet on one of the second set of ports that includes a destination MAC address that is unknown to the hybrid node, broadcasting the second unicast packet out those of the second set of ports on which the second unicast packet was not received and not broadcasting the second unicast packet out the first set of ports; and responsive to receiving a third unicast packet on one of the second set of ports that includes a destination MAC address that is unknown to the hybrid node and is a same destination MAC address as included in the second unicast packet, broadcasting the third unicast packet out the first set of ports.