Patent ID: 8625412

Claim:
A processor-implemented method of operation for a network-facing provider edge (n-PE) device of a first Ethernet access domain network, comprising: running a stack group bidding protocol (SGBP) to select a primary n-PE device from among a plurality of n-PE devices in the first Ethernet access domain network, the primary n-PE device having a highest priority connection with a second Ethernet access domain network; sending, by the primary n-PE device, a connection request to the second Ethernet access domain network across a core network; receiving a response from the second Ethernet access domain network; and establishing a single pseudowire connection path to the second Ethernet access domain network across the core network, wherein at no time following the running of the SGBP is there more than one pseudowire connection path, whether active or inactive, established across the core network between the first and second Ethernet access domain networks per Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) service instance.