Patent ID: 8050183

Claim:
A system comprising: a first network node at a first end of a daisy chain of serially interconnected network nodes; a second network node at a second end of the daisy chain of network nodes; and a network coupling the first network node and the second network node, wherein the network is not part of the daisy chain of serially interconnected network nodes, the first network node comprises a first reflector port coupled to the daisy chain, the second network node comprises a second reflector port coupled to the daisy chain, the first network node is configured to detect reception of a first ring protocol control message by the first reflector port, wherein the first ring protocol control message is generated by a designated port within the daisy chain, and the first ring protocol control message is sent from the designated port to the first node, the second network node is configured to detect reception of a second ring protocol control message by the second reflector port, wherein the second ring protocol control message is generated by the designated port, and the second ring protocol control message is sent from the designated port to the second node, the first network node is configured to resend the first ring protocol control message from the first reflector port back to the designated port instead of sending the first ring protocol control message to the second network node via the network, and the second network node is configured to resend the second ring protocol control message from the second reflector port back to the designated port instead of sending the second ring protocol control message to the first network node via the network.