Selecting among multiple concurrently active paths through a network

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium embodying a set of instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a network interface coupled to a network, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

• receiving from a source network device coupled to the network network traffic destined for a destination network device coupled to the network, wherein the network comprises a loop-free, reverse-path-learning network, wherein the network is divided into a plurality of virtual local area networks (VLANs) and wherein the network traffic specifies an address of the destination network device or information from which the address can be derived;
• determining a set of VLANs of the plurality of VLANs that can be used to transport the network traffic from the source network device to the destination network device, wherein the set of VLANs comprises a subset of the plurality of VLANs, and wherein the set of VLANs is associated with multiple paths through the network from the source network device to the destination network device as a result of each VLAN in the set of VLANs being associated with a different path through the network from the source network device to the destination network device;
• selecting a particular VLAN from the set of VLANs, thereby, effectively selecting a particular path of the multiple paths;
• and
• causing the network traffic to be transported through the network to the destination network device via the selected path.