Patent ID: 8385355

Claim:
A system, comprising: a root node associated with a Metro Ethernet network; a first Virtual Bridge (VB), associated with the root node, configured to process Ethernet traffic using a first routing protocol; a second node associated with the Metro Ethernet network; a second VB, associated with the second node, configured to process Ethernet traffic and to allow interworking between at least the first routing protocol and a second routing protocol, the second routing protocol being substantially incompatible with the first routing protocol; two or more third nodes associated with the Metro Ethernet network; two or more third VBs associated with the third nodes, configured to process Ethernet traffic, wherein at least one of the third VBs is further configured to use the second routing protocol; wherein all of the VBs are configured to facilitate communicative coupling between all of the nodes, such that the root node is communicatively coupled to the second node, and the second node is communicatively coupled to the two or more third nodes; wherein the first VB is configured to permit transmission of Ethernet traffic from the root node to the two or more third nodes; wherein the second VB is configured to: permit transmission of Ethernet traffic from the root node to the two or more third nodes, prevent transmission of Ethernet traffic from one of the third nodes to another of the third nodes, and process Ethernet traffic addressed to the root node from one of the third nodes to determine whether to propagate transmission to the root node.