Patent ID: 8644156

Claim:
A method comprising: at a switch device that interfaces to a plurality of links of a virtual port channel, receiving packets to be routed over the plurality of links; and generating hash values for each of the plurality of links, wherein the hash values represent traffic usage of the links; evaluating the hash values to classify each of the links as either a high priority link or a low priority link, wherein a link is classified as a high priority link when the link is unused for traffic and wherein the link is classified as a low priority link when the link is used for traffic; and routing the packets over the links of the virtual port channel so as to favor certain links over other links based on operating conditions of the respective links, wherein the packets are routed to the high priority links and the low priority links based on the hash values assigned to the plurality of links such that packets are routed on links classified as high priority links more often than on links classified as low priority links, wherein receiving comprises receiving packets of a first traffic type and packets of a second traffic type, and routing comprises routing packets of the first traffic type and packets of the second traffic type over links of the virtual port channel based on utilization of the respective links and traffic type; and wherein routing comprises routing packets of the first traffic type exclusively over a subset of the plurality of links and routing packets of the second traffic type over the plurality of links so as to favor one or more links that are not in the subset of links used for the first traffic type.