Patent ID: 8526433

Claim:
A method in a hybrid node operating first and second bridging protocols, the method allowing for an incremental transitioning of nodes in a network from the first bridging protocol to the second bridging protocol, wherein said nodes are coupled to end stations, wherein the first bridging protocol shares Media Access Control (MAC) addresses of end stations amongst all nodes and end stations directly coupled to each other with the first bridging protocol, the method comprising the steps of: operating the first bridging protocol on a first set of one or more of a plurality of ports of the hybrid node, wherein the first set of ports are coupled to one or more nodes operating the first bridging protocol and not the second bridging protocol; operating the second bridging protocol on a second set of one or more of the plurality of ports of the hybrid node; responsive to receiving an address announcement packet on one of the second set of ports, broadcasting the address announcement packet out of other ones of the second set of ports and inhibiting the broadcast of the first address announcement packet out of the first set of ports; responsive to receiving a first address request packet on one of the second set of ports, broadcasting the first address request packet out the second set of ports and not out the first set of ports; responsive to receiving a second address request packet on one of the second set of ports, wherein the second address request packet has a same destination IP address and source MAC address as the first address request packet, performing the following: determining that the second address request packet is a retransmission of the first address request packet, and broadcasting the second address request packet out of the first set of ports.