Patent ID: 8724449

Claim:
A method comprising: configuring a port at a first node with one or more down maintenance end points assigned for each of one or more virtual local area networks, the port connecting said first node to an access ring, said first node located at an edge of a core network and operating in an active mode for one or more of the virtual local area networks, said first node in communication with a second node located at said edge of the core network and connected to the access ring, each of said first and second nodes configured for Virtual Private Wire Service (VPWS) or Virtual Private Local Area Network Service (VPLS); receiving and processing at a processor at said first node, continuity check messages from access nodes on the access ring; synchronizing said first node with said second node; identifying a failure; communicating from said first node to said second node to initiate switching of said second node from a backup mode to said active mode for one or more of the virtual local area networks; and said first node switching to said backup mode for the virtual local area network if a service associated with the virtual local area network is VPWS and remaining in said active mode if the service associated with the virtual local area network is VPLS; wherein said synchronizing and communicating is performed directly between said first node and said second node without utilizing said access ring, and said down maintenance end point participates in connectivity fault management (CFM) within a maintenance domain and communicates CFM frames via a wire connected to the port.