Patent ID: 8320281

Claim:
A method for utilizing a standard spanning tree protocol to designate an active switching device in a network node, the method comprising: generating a virtual network topology representation that includes a payload processing device connected to each of a first switching device and a second switching device, which share a virtual link that indicates that the first and second switching devices provide the same network access in the virtual network topology representation; transmitting, from each of the first and second switching devices to the payload processing device, a standard spanning tree protocol signaling message that contains the virtual network topology representation and a bridge root priority identifier, wherein the bridge root priority identifier has been derived using an algorithm that considers whether the transmitting switching device is a preferred active switching device or a preferred standby switching device; and receiving transmitted standard spanning tree protocol signaling messages and utilizing a standard spanning tree protocol at the payload processing device to Construct a logical spanning tree using the virtual network topology representation and to select the preferred active switching device as a root bridge of the logical spanning tree based on comparing bridge root priority identifiers as required by the standard spanning tree protocol, wherein the payload processing device only communicates application data via a link to the switching device designated as the root bridge.