Patent ID: 7760668

Claim:
A method of modifying a spanning tree configuration for a group of packet switches in a common spanning tree domain, the method comprising: automatically detecting a resource change selected from the group of resource changes consisting of: a change in the status of redundant backup hardware in the group packet switch; a change in at least one environmental parameter detected at the group packet switch; a chance in the rate of correctable errors detected at one or more points in the group packet switch; a change in hardware status affecting the packet throughput of the group packet switch; a change in status affecting the uplink capability of the group packet switch; a change in the capability of the group packet switch to process traffic with selected traffic attributes; and combinations thereof, that indicates the current spanning tree configuration is less than optimal for at least some traffic present in the spanning tree domain; in response to the resource change detection, automatically modifying at least one spanning tree parameter for at least one of the packet switches; and converging the common spanning tree domain to a new spanning tree solution in consideration of the at least one modified spanning tree parameter.