Patent ID: 7792017

Claim:
A network element node comprising: a plurality of network ports on which network traffic is received and transmitted; a switch, coupled to the plurality of network ports, that switches the network traffic to components within the network element node; a first virtual local area network (“VLAN”), located on the switch, having an associated first network port within the plurality of network ports and that switches at least a first portion of the network traffic to a first one of the components; a second VLAN, located on the switch, having an associated second network port within the plurality of network ports and that switches at least a second portion of the network traffic to a second one of the components; a first transceiver module; a second transceiver module, wherein the first VLAN is located on the first transceiver module and the second VLAN is located on the second transceiver module; a first MAC, located on the first transceiver module and coupled to the first VLAN, on which a third portion of the network traffic is received, the first MAC being associated with a first IP address; and a second MAC, located on the second transceiver module and coupled to the first VLAN, on which a fourth portion of the network traffic is received, the second MAC being associated with a second IP address, the fourth portion of the network traffic being diverted to the second MAC in the event of a failure, wherein the first VLAN includes a first redundant path to the second one of the components and the second VLAN includes a second redundant path to the first one of the components, and wherein the first and second IP addresses are the same address and the second IP address is updated in the event of a failure on the first transceiver module.