Patent ID: 7532570

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a first data transmission path configured to receive first data and transmit the first data in a first direction, wherein the first data is received from a first node; a second data transmission path configured to receive second data and transmit the second data in a second direction, wherein the second data is transmitted to the first node; first lookup logic associated with the first data transmission path and configured to determine whether to transmit the first data in the first direction; first forwarding logic associated with the first data transmission path and configured to control transmission along the first data transmission path; a first data wrap path configured to transmit data from the second data transmission path to the first data transmission path and coupled between the second data transmission path and the first lookup logic; a second data wrap path configured to transmit data from the second data transmission path to the first data transmission path and coupled between the second data transmission path and the first forwarding logic; a controller coupled to the second data transmission path and configured to: interpret a protection packet to determine a network fault location on the second data transmission path to the first node, and cause the second data to be selectively transmitted along one of the first data wrap path and the second data wrap path to the first data transmission path; and a fairness logic associated with the first forwarding logic and configured to selectively determine whether to transmit in the first direction the first data, the second data, or data from a host device, wherein the first data transmission path is further configured to receive the first data in spite of the network fault.