Load distribution and redundancy using tree aggregation

A network component comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• select one of a plurality of trees associated with a frame;
• direct the frame to the selected tree;
• and maintain a Filtering Database (FDB) entry in an interior node in the one or more unselected trees, wherein maintaining the FDB entry comprises sending a control frame on the one or more unselected-trees, and wherein the control frame comprises a Media Access Control (MAC) header but lacks a data payload.

A method comprising:

• identifying, by an Ethernet bridge, a plurality of trees in communication with an egress leaf node, wherein the trees comprise a plurality of Ethernet nodes;
• selecting at least one but not all of the trees;
• sending a plurality of frames associated with a Source Address (SA) to the egress leaf node by distributing the frames over the selected trees;
• and maintaining a Filtering Database (FDB) entry corresponding to the SA in each unselected tree by sending a control frame to each unselected tree, wherein the control frames each comprise a Media Access Control (MAC) header but lack a data payload.