Optimized link failure convergence for resilient ethernet protocol networks

A data communications network, comprising:

• a plurality of network switches comprising a first network switch, a second network switch, a third network switch and a fourth network switch, wherein the plurality of network switches are connected in a ring topology, and wherein a port of the second network switch is blocked to create a current Resilient Ethernet Protocol (REP) segment,
• wherein the first network switch is configured to determine that a link failure event, corresponding to a first link failure, has occurred and in response, transmit a Hardware Flood Layer (HFL) notification data packet specifying a Time-to-Live (TTL) value of 2 to the second network switch,
• wherein the second network switch is configured to, responsive to receiving the HFL notification data packet:
• identify the blocked port of the second network switch that is blocked to create a current REP segment;
• unblock the blocked port of the second network switch to create a new REP segment;
• decrement the TTL value in the HFL notification data packet from 2 to 1;
• forward, using the unblocked port, the HFL notification data packet specifying the TTL value of 1 to the third network switch of the plurality of network switches within the new REP segment;
• and
• purge contents of a Media Access Control (MAC) table within a memory of the second network switch;
• and
• wherein the first network switch is further configured to, upon receiving a second HFL notification data packet corresponding to the first link failure and specifying the TTL value of 1, from the fourth network switch of the plurality of network switches, discard the second HFL notification data packet without forwarding the second HFL notification data packet to the second network switch.

A system, comprising:

• a plurality of network switches within a Resilient Ethernet Protocol (REP) environment, the plurality of network switches configured in a ring topology, wherein each of the plurality of network switches comprises:
• a plurality of ports;
• a memory storing a Media Access Control (MAC) table;
• and
• logic configured to:
• monitor for link failure events within a REP segment;
• determine that a link failure event, corresponding to a first link failure, has occurred within the REP segment, and in response, transmit a Hardware Flood Layer (HFL) notification data packet specifying a Time-to-Live (TTL) value of 2 to another network switch within the plurality of network switches, wherein the other network switch is configured to, responsive to receiving the HFL notification data packet:
• identify a port of the other network switch, wherein the port of the other network switch is blocked to create a current REP segment;
• unblock the blocked port of the other network switch to create a new REP segment;
• decrement the TTL value in the HFL notification data packet from 2 to 1;
• forward, using the unblocked port, the HFL notification data packet specifying the TTL value of 1 to a third network switch within the plurality of network switches;
• and
• purge contents of the MAC table within the memory of the other network switch;
• and
• receive a second HFL notification data packet corresponding to the first link failure and specifying the TTL value of 1, from a fourth network switch of the plurality of network switches, and in response discard the second HFL notification data packet without forwarding the second HFL notification data packet to the other network switch.