Patent ID: 7924705

Claim:
A method for restoring network connections using span-based connection aggregation, comprising: identifying a plurality of network spans between a first node and a second node in a mesh network with a plurality of network nodes, wherein a plurality of individual network connections traverse the plurality of network spans, and wherein the plurality of network spans are identified responsive to a plurality of criteria; logically aggregating the plurality of individual network connections in each of the plurality of network spans together into a connection aggregation link for the each of the plurality of network spans; logically aggregating each of the connection aggregation links into a bundle; managing the bundle, comprised of the plurality of individual network connections over the plurality of network spans, as a single sub network connection (SNC) over the plurality of network spans; maintaining a connection mapping for the bundle, wherein the connection mapping contains information pertaining to the bundle, but not the plurality of individual network connections; restoring the bundle responsive to a failure on the bundle, wherein the restoring is only done if the bundle can be restored in full between the first node and the second node; and if unable to restore the bundle, releasing the plurality of individual network connections within the bundle.