Patent ID: 8854982

Claim:
A method of managing an interconnect region between a first network domain and a second network domain, the method comprising the steps of: establishing a control instance by first, second, third, and fourth network elements in the interconnect region, the interconnect region including a plurality of links extending between the first and second network elements on the first network domain and the third and fourth network elements on the second network domain, the control instance being implemented as a spanning tree that does not extend beyond the interconnect region and which allows the first, second, third, and fourth network elements to select at most one of the links extending between the first and second network domains to be selected as an active link and causing remaining links extending between the first and second network domains to be designated by the first, second, third, and fourth network elements as backup links; and configuring the interconnect region to avoid loop formation under a failure condition; wherein the interconnect region includes four links interconnecting the first and second network elements with the third and fourth network elements, wherein a fifth link interconnects the first and second network elements, wherein a sixth link interconnects the third and fourth network elements, and wherein the control instance in the interconnect region allows at most one of the four links interconnecting the first and second network elements with the third and fourth network elements to be selected as the active link between the two domains.