Fast recovery in layer 2 rings using selective replication

An apparatus, comprising:

• one or more network interfaces to communicate with a network as a ring node of a network ring;
• a processor coupled to the one or more network interfaces and configured to execute one or more processes;
• and
• a memory configured to store a process that is executable by the processor, the process, when executed, configured to:
• configure a lookup table of the ring node to point to both a first ring port and a second ring port of the ring node for remote addresses learned on either the first ring port or the second ring port;
• configure the lookup table to point to a corresponding non-ring port of the ring node for local addresses learned on that corresponding non-ring port;
• receive a packet having a destination address;
• and
• send the packet toward the destination address according to the lookup table, thereby replicating the packet, when received on a non-ring port of the ring node and destined to a remote address, onto both the first ring port and the second ring port.

A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing program instructions that cause a device to execute a process comprising:

• configuring, at a ring node of a network ring, a lookup table of the ring node to point to both a first ring port and a second ring port of the ring node for remote addresses learned on either the first ring port or the second ring port;
• configuring, at the ring node, the lookup table to point to a corresponding non-ring port of the ring node for local addresses learned on that corresponding non-ring port;
• receiving, at the ring node, a packet having a destination address;
• and
• sending, by the ring node, the packet toward the destination address according to the lookup table, thereby replicating the packet, when received on a non-ring port of the ring node and destined to a remote address, onto both the first ring port and the second ring port.