Patent ID: 6976088

Claim:
A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions for use by an intermediate network device having a unique numeric identifier, including a settable portion, and plurality of ports for sending and receiving messages to and from one or more network entities within a bridged network, each port associated with a port cost, the device executing a spanning tree algorithm to elect a root and to select (1) a single root port that provides network connectivity to the root and (2) one or more designated ports that represent a lowest cost path from the respective port to the root, the executable program instructions comprising program instructions for: increasing the settable portion of the unique numeric identifier above a first threshold value to preclude the device from being elected the root of the bridged network; increasing the costs for each port above a second threshold value to preclude each port of the device that provides connectivity to the root from being selected a designated port; placing the root port in a forwarding state to allow messages to be forwarded to and from the root port; and placing all other ports that provide connectivity to the root in a blocking state.