Provider backbone bridging—provider backbone transport internetworking

A method of providing a resilient attachment to a provider backbone bridged (PBB) network, the method comprising:

• configuring at least two connections between the PBB network and an external node external to the PBB network;
• configuring the at least two connections as a protection group such that one of the connections of the protection group is configured as a primary connection to carry packets between the PBB network and the external node when the primary connection is operational and at least one other of the connections of the protection group is configured as a standby connection to carry packets between the PBB network and the external node when the primary connection is not operational;
• associating a protection group address with the protection group;
• learning forwarding information at the PBB network based on source addresses of packets received at the PBB network, packets received from the external node on a connection of the protection group having the protection group address as a source address;
• and
• forwarding packets having the protection group address as a destination address onto an operational connection of the protection group based on the learned forwarding information, whereby packets are forwarded at the PBB network onto the standby connection of the protection group based on the protection group address following failure of the primary connection without requiring relearning of forwarding information at the PBB network.