Isolated Forwarding Strategy in Ethernet Networks

Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is a layer-2 IEEE approved standard that provides a loop-free forwarding topology in Ethernet networks. STP does this task by reducing the topology of a switched network to a tree topology where redundant ports are blocked. This action ensures there is a unique path from any node to every other node. In STP, there isn´t any traffic engineering mechanism for load balancing. This results in uneven load distribution and bottlenecks especially close to the Root. In this paper, we propose a novel switching strategy based on Shortcut Switching Strategy that generates sub-spanning trees to have a better load balance in the network. This decreases the average traffic volume on links and switches specially close to the Root, improves load balancing on links and switches and reduces the average number of switching hops.