Patent ID: 7609655

Claim:
A method for providing Topology Change functionality in a Bridged Local Area Network (LAN), comprising: determining that a Multiple Spanning Tree Instance (MSTI) Master port on a Bridge of a LAN has transitioned to Forwarding state from a corresponding Common Internal Spanning Tree Instance (CSTI) Root port state; transitioning a Port Transmit state machine of the Bridge from an Idle state to a Transmit state for enabling issuance of a Topology Change (TC) BPDU message from the MSTI Master port, wherein said transitioning is performed in response to performing said determining; desynchronizing the Multiple Spanning Tree Instance (MSTI) Master port state from the corresponding Common Internal Spanning Tree Instance (CSTI) Root port state on the Bridge, wherein said desynchronizing is performed prior to performing said determining; and issuing a Topology Change (TC) BPDU message from the MSTI Master port in response to performing said transitioning.