Loop prevention system

An information handling system (IHS), comprising:

• a communication system that is coupled to a plurality of networking node devices that are coupled together in a loop configuration, wherein the communication system includes a first direct link that connects the communication system to the loop configuration, and a second direct link that connects the communication system to the loop configuration,
• a processing system coupled to the communication system;
• and
• a memory system coupled to the processing system and including instruction that, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to provide a loop prevention engine that is configured to:
• receive, through the first direct link, first network traffic that entered the loop configuration at a first networking node device of the plurality of networking node devices in the loop configuration;
• block the first network traffic through the second direct link based on a first forwarding rule for network traffic that enters the loop configuration at the first networking node device and that is received by the communication system;
• receive, through the second direct link, second network traffic that entered the loop configuration at a second networking node device of the plurality of networking node devices in the loop configuration;
• receive network traffic through a third direct link that does not couple the communication system to the loop configuration;
• add a communication system identifier to the network traffic;
• and
• forward the network traffic including the communication system identifier through the first direct link and the second direct link, wherein the network traffic that includes the communication system identifier is blocked through a fourth direct link between two of the plurality of networking node devices in the loop configuration based on the communication system identifier.

A method for loop prevention, comprising:

• receiving, by a first networking node device included in a plurality of networking node devices that are coupled together to form a loop configuration and through a first direct link that couples the first networking node device to the loop configuration, first network traffic that entered the loop configuration at a second networking node device of the plurality of networking node devices in the loop configuration;
• blocking, by the first networking node device, the first network traffic through a second direct link that couples the first networking node device to the loop configuration based on a first forwarding rule for network traffic that enters the loop configuration at the second networking node device and that is received by the first networking node device;
• receiving, by the first networking node device through the second direct link, second network traffic that entered the loop configuration at a third networking node device of the plurality of networking node devices in the loop configuration;
• receiving, by the first networking node device, network traffic through a third direct link that does not couple the first networking node device to the loop configuration;
• adding, by the first networking node device, a first networking node device identifier to the network traffic;
• and
• forwarding, by the first networking node device, the network traffic including the first networking node device identifier through the first direct link and the second direct link, wherein the network traffic that includes the first networking node device identifier is in the loop configuration based on the first networking node device identifier.