Patent ID: 8619632

Claim:
A node for a communications network, the node comprising: a plurality of ports; a processor, the processor configured to determine that a first status change signal, indicative of a topology status change in the network, has been received, wherein the first status change signal is embedded in a Bridge Protocol Data Unit (BDPU) of an implementation of a spanning tree protocol (STP), and the processor further configured to decide from at least an origin of the first status change signal to output a second status change signal to only a subset of possible destination nodes; a memory, the memory configured to store a filter/forwarding database (FDB), wherein the FDB contains associations between traffic destination identifiers and the ports of the node; and on receipt of the first status change signal, the processor is further configured to remove from the memory an association relating to a first port from which a second status change signal is to be sent, and to retain in the memory an association relating to a second port which the processor has inhibited the second status change signal from being sent, wherein each port of the ports of the node is associated with a subdomain identifier (ID), and wherein the subdomain ID is related to one of cases including that any port is connected to a link toward a subnetwork of the communication network, any port is connected to a link to a node connecting to at least two subnetworks, and any port is connected to a link does not support the implementation of a STP.