Patent ID: 8457017

Claim:
A method comprising: generating a first packet, the first packet including first information; transmitting the first packet from a first chassis to a second chassis, the first packet including a system identifier that identifies a system in which the first chassis is provided, the second chassis lacking information identifying the system; storing the system identifier in the second chassis after the step of transmitting the first packet, such that the second chassis is identified with the system; transmitting a second packet including the first information, the first information including a chassis identifier that identifies the first chassis and a port identifier that identifies a port of the first chassis, determining that the first information matches second information stored in the second chassis; transmitting a plurality of third packets from the first chassis and the second chassis in accordance with a spanning tree protocol after said determining that the first information matches the second information, one of the plurality of third packets being a “hello” packet that includes a plurality of identifiers, each of which identifying a corresponding one of a plurality of third chassis, wherein the third plurality of chassis have active connections for communicating data to the second chassis.