Patent ID: 8755382

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving first forwarding information from a controlling network device via an uplink interface, wherein the first forwarding information comprises one or more entries, and each entry of the one or more entries comprises a destination address and an associated port identifier; determining whether local forwarding information stored in a local forwarding table comprises a first entry of the one or more entries, wherein the local forwarding information comprises a plurality of destination addresses and a plurality of port identifiers, and the determining comprises comparing a first destination address of the first entry with the local forwarding information; if the comparing indicates that the first destination address is not found in the local forwarding information updating the local forwarding table, wherein the updating comprises adding the first entry to the local forwarding information; and if the comparing indicates that the first destination address is found in the local forwarding information discarding the first entry, and determining whether the first entry is consistent with the local forwarding information, wherein the determining whether the first entry is consistent comprises comparing a first port identifier associated with the first entry with the local forwarding information.