Patent ID: 8477638

Claim:
A method, comprising: obtaining, by a source node in a multi-ring topology, data to be transmitted to one or more other nodes in the multi-ring topology; determining whether the multi-ring topology is in a wrapped state wherein one or more nodes in the multi-ring topology, other than the source node, are configured to receive a packet on a first ring of the multi-ring topology and transmit the packet on a second ring of the multi-ring topology; and if the multi-ring topology is not in a wrapped state, then transmitting the data in one or more multicast packets on either the first ring or the second ring of the multi-ring topology, wherein the one or more multicast packets include a ring identification corresponding to the ring on which the multicast packets are transmitted, or if the multi-ring topology is in a wrapped state: transmitting the data substantially simultaneously in multicast packets on both the first ring and the second ring of the multi-ring topology, wherein a first one or more multicast packets are transmitted on the first ring and a second one or more multicast packets are transmitted on the second ring containing copies of data of the first one or more multicast packets, and wherein the first one or more multicast packets include a ring identification corresponding to the first ring and the second one or more multicast packets include a ring identification corresponding to the second ring, stripping, by a first node causing the wrapped state, the first one or more multicast packets transmitted over the first ring when the first one or more multicast packets reach the first node, stripping, by a second node causing the wrapped state, the second one or more multicast packets transmitted over the second ring when the first one or more multicast packets reach the second node.