Patent ID: 8817598

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a first interface for communicating with a ring network; a second interface for communicating with the ring network; a forwarding controller for selectively routing packets onto the ring network via the first interface, the second interface, or both the first and second interfaces; wherein in response to receiving a first broken ring indication signal indicating a broken link in the ring network via the first interface, the first interface communicates the first broken ring indication signal to the forwarding controller and the second interface, and forwarding onto the ring network stops in response to the first broken ring indication signal; wherein the second interface forwards the first broken ring indication signal onto the ring network; wherein in response to receiving a second broken ring indication signal for the broken link in the ring network via the second interface, the second interface communicates the second broken ring indication signal to the first interface and the forwarding controller; wherein forwarding of packets onto the ring network resumes responsive to receiving both the first broken ring indication signal and the second broken ring indication signal; and wherein the forwarding controller replicates packets for the ring network and forwards the packets onto the ring network via the first interface and the second interface in response to receiving both the first broken ring indication signal and the second broken ring indication signal.