Patent ID: 8208407

Claim:
A method, comprising: receiving a topology change notification at a network bridge having ports identified as either network ports or edge ports; and in response: entering a topology change period at the network bridge; disabling address learning on the network bridge; changing an association of a first set of one or more entries of a forwarding table of the network bridge having addresses previously forwarded on a particular network port of the network bridge, to have the first set of one or more entries indicate their addresses are to be forwarded on all network ports of the network bridge, but not on any edge ports of the network bridge, during the topology change period; maintaining an association of a second set of one or more entries of the forwarding table having addresses previously forwarded on only a particular edge port of the network bridge, to have the second set of one or more entries indicate their addresses are to continue to be forwarded on only the particular edge port of the network bridge, during the topology change period; determining that the topology change period has concluded at the network bridge; and enabling address learning on the network bridge.