Patent ID: 8351348

Claim:
A network component comprising: a plurality of ports; a memory configured to store a first port's management identifier associated with a first one of the plurality of ports, wherein the first port is coupled to a neighboring node; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to: receive an Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) layer 2 message comprising a neighboring node's management identifier, wherein the neighboring node's management identifier is provisioned to the neighboring node but is not provisioned to the network component, wherein the neighboring node is provisioned to a virtual network identified by the neighboring node's management identifier; and adopt the neighboring node's management identifier as the first port's management identifier if a value has not been locally assigned to the first port's management identifier at the time the message is received, wherein the first port's management identifier has not been locally assigned when the first port's management identifier is a null value, and wherein the null value for the first port's management identifier indicates the first port has not been assigned to a second virtual network.