Patent ID: 7864818

Claim:
A method comprising: controlling a second network node, using a processor on a first network node, to utilize a load-sharing algorithm which is the same as the load-sharing algorithm used by the first network node to direct all packets of a bidirectional flow to a link in a plurality of links in a load-sharing channel, where packet fields are utilized as input values to the load-sharing algorithm, where the load-sharing algorithm always outputs a given numerical value corresponding to given input values, where the first and second network nodes are connected by a plurality of links aggregated into the load-sharing channel with each link coupled to a corresponding interface on a network node and where the network node selects an interface to which the bidirectional flow is directed in response to the numerical value output by the load-sharing algorithm; controlling the second network node, using the processor on the first network node, to insert packet fields of packets of the bidirectional flow as input values to the load-sharing algorithm in the same order as the packet fields of packets of the bidirectional flow are inserted as input values to the load-sharing algorithm in the first network node so that the load-sharing algorithms on the first and second network nodes output the same numerical value for packets in the bidirectional flow; and controlling the second network node, using the processor on the first network node, to enumerate the interfaces connected to each of the plurality of links so that the first and second network nodes select interfaces connected to the same link in response to the same numerical value output by the load-sharing algorithm so that packets of a given bidirectional flow are directed to the same link by both the first and second network nodes.