Patent ID: 8711863

Claim:
A method of using virtual links in a routed Ethernet mesh network, the method comprising the steps of: receiving, by a node on the routed Ethernet mesh network, a routing system link state advertisement containing a virtual link description, which incorporates an explicit route object, the explicit route object defining a path for the virtual link through the routed Ethernet mesh network between two end points on the interior of the routed Ethernet mesh network, the virtual link description further specifying a list of dataplane identifiers to be associated with the virtual link on the network and administrative status; wherein the virtual link is advertised as having a same cost metric as a shortest path between the two end points instead of its own cost metric such that other traffic patterns on the routed Ethernet mesh network are not disrupted; and wherein an Equal Cost Multi Path (ECMP) tie breaking process is used to select between the virtual link and the shortest path between the two end points.