Optimizations and enhancements to the IEEE RSTP 802.1W implementation

A network device comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a state machine configured to:
• examine a message comprising a first bridge media access control (MAC) address of a current root bridge;
• if the first bridge MAC address and a second bridge MAC address currently held by a receiving port of the network device are not the same, then compare a current priority value to a previous priority value of the current root bridge;
• if the current priority value is inferior to the previous priority value, then determine if the port receiving the message is a qualified root port;
• and
• if the port is a qualified root port, then return a superior designated message to permit each bridge to execute a rapid spanning tree calculation for use in a dynamic configuration change.

An article of manufacture, comprising:

• a machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions to:
• examine a message comprising a first bridge media access control (MAC) address of a current root bridge;
• if the first bridge MAC address and a second bridge MAC address currently held by a receiving port of the network device are not the same, then compare a current priority value to a previous priority value of the current root bridge;
• if the current priority value is inferior to the previous priority value, then determine if the port receiving the message is a qualified root port;
• and
• if the port is a qualified root port, then return a superior designated message to permit each bridge to execute a rapid spanning tree calculation for use in a dynamic configuration change.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for, at a network device configured to perform a bridging function, examining a message comprising a first bridge media access control (MAC) address of a current root bridge;
• means for, if the first bridge MAC address and a second bridge MAC address currently held by a receiving port of the network device are not the same, then comparing a current priority value to a previous priority value of the current root bridge;
• means for, if the current priority value is inferior to the previous priority value, then determining if the port receiving the message is a qualified root port;
• and
• means for, if the port is a qualified root port, then returning a superior designated message to permit each bridge to execute a rapid spanning tree calculation for use in a dynamic configuration change.

A method comprising:

• at a network device configured to perform a bridging function, examining a message comprising a first bridge address of a current root bridge;
• if the first bridge address and a second bridge address currently held by a receiving port of the network device are not the same, then comparing a current priority value to a previous priority value of the current root bridge;
• if the current priority value is inferior to the previous priority value, then determining if the port receiving the message is a qualified root port;
• and
• if the port is a qualified root port, then returning a superior designated message to permit each bridge to execute a rapid spanning tree calculation for use in a dynamic configuration change.

A network device comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a state machine configured to:
• examine a message comprising a first bridge address of a current root bridge;
• if the first bridge address and a second bridge address currently held by a receiving port of the network device are not the same, then compare a current priority value to a previous priority value of the current root bridge;
• if the current priority value is inferior to the previous priority value, then determine if the port receiving the message is a qualified root port;
• and
• if the port is a qualified root port, then return a superior designated message to permit each bridge to execute a rapid spanning tree calculation for use in a dynamic configuration change.

An article of manufacture, comprising:

• a machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions to:
• examine a message comprising a first bridge address of a current root bridge;
• if the first bridge address and a second bridge address currently held by a receiving port of the network device are not the same, then compare a current priority value to a previous priority value of the current root bridge;
• if the current priority value is inferior to the previous priority value, then determine if the port receiving the message is a qualified root port;
• and
• if the port is a qualified root port, then return a superior designated message to permit each bridge to execute a rapid spanning tree calculation for use in a dynamic configuration change.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for, at a network device configured to perform a bridging function, examining a message comprising a first bridge address of a current root bridge;
• means for, if the first bridge address and a second bridge address currently held by a receiving port of the network device are not the same, then comparing a current priority value to a previous priority value of the current root bridge;
• means for, if the current priority value is inferior to the previous priority value, then determining if the port receiving the message is a qualified root port;
• and
• means for, if the port is a qualified root port, then returning a superior designated message to permit each bridge to execute a rapid spanning tree calculation for use in a dynamic configuration change.