Patent ID: 8116229

Claim:
A method comprising: identifying, using a processor, at least first and second convergence node network devices in a network including an interconnected group of network device when a new link is added to the network between first and second selected network devices in the interconnected group of network devices to form a new network topology with the new network topology having a plurality of equal cost paths connecting a source network device and a destination network device, where the first and second convergence node network devices are network devices which are common to all equal cost paths in the new network topology coupling the source network device and the destination network device and where the first and second convergence node network device are located between the source and destination devices and do not include the source and destination network devices; identifying, using the processor, which of the first and second convergence node network devices is a critical convergence node network device which is closest to the second selected network device and positioned between the second selected network device and the destination network device and where the destination device is not a convergence node; and flushing packets from the network only up to the critical convergence node network device when the new link is added to the network.