An efficient fast algorithm to select the best spanning tree in metro ethernet networks

Ethernet networks rely on Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) that guarantees a loop-free tree topology in the network. STP does this task by pruning the redundant links. This protocol doesn't have any traffic engineering mechanism for load balancing since the tree construction in this protocol is only based on the shortest path criterion. In this paper, we propose an efficient fast algorithm to find the best spanning tree by modeling and solving objective functions based on load balancing criterions. By using this objective we can balance the traffic load on links and switches. Finally through some simulations on a typical network, we show the effectiveness of our approach.