Patent ID: 7127523

Claim:
A method for communication, comprising: defining a topology of a transparent local area network service (TLS), comprising a system of label-switched tunnels between label-switched routers (LSRs) through a communication network, the TLS having at least first and second endpoints to which first and second user equipment is connected so that the TLS acts as a virtual bridge between the first and second user equipment; transmitting control frames among the LSRs in the TLS via the label-switched tunnels, each control frame comprising a control traffic label and a bridge protocol data unit (BPDU) in accordance with a spanning tree protocol (STP), the control traffic label indicating to the LSRs that the STP is to be executed by the LSRs without transmission of the BPDU to the user equipment; and upon receiving the control frames at the LSRs, processing the BPDU, responsively to the control traffic label, so as to remove loops in the topology of the TLS irrespective of the user equipment.