Fast failover recovery for stackable network switches

摘要

A network switch including a plurality of stack units and a plurality of links. Each of the stack units includes a port, a plurality of interfaces, and a forwarding engine in communication with the interfaces and the port. Each of the plurality of links connects one of the interfaces of one of the stack units to another one of the interfaces of another one of the stack units. When one of the links is down, a loop flag in a first packet to be transferred by a corresponding one of the interfaces of a corresponding one of the stack units over the one of the links is toggled; and the forwarding engine of the corresponding one of the stack units is configured to transfer the first packet to another one of the interfaces of the corresponding one of the stack units for transfer over a different one of the links.