Patent ID: 8438305

Claim:
A method of enabling portals between a routing bridge (Rbridge) network and an external network to correlate routing information received from the external network with nodes internal to the Rbridge network, the method comprising the steps of: receiving, by a first portal between the Rbridge network and the external network, a first message containing first routing information over a shortest path tree established on the Rbridge network and rooted at the first portal; transmitting, by the first portal, a second message containing the first routing information onto the external network; transmitting, by the first portal, a third message to at least a second portal between the Rbridge network and the external network; receiving the second and third messages by the second portal; and correlating, by the second portal, the first routing information with at least one of the nodes internal to the Rbridge network upon receipt of the first routing information from the external network; wherein the third message has information configured to be used by the second portal to identify the second message if the second message is received from the external network.