Abstract: A system and process may include assigning a unique host identifier to a host that is a node of a network. The host is adapted to host at least one network interface. The system and process may further include creating a host/guest relationship for each hosted network interface by associating a network interface identifier of the hosted network interface with the unique host identifier.

Abstract: A system and method for protecting a trunk with multiple trunks may select a primary path on a first trunk for which to place a corresponding bypass tunnel on a second trunk. The system and method may further select one or more alternate trunks using a constraint-based trunk-selection algorithm. The system and method may further determine if at least one of the selected alternate trunks has sufficient priority bandwidth. In the event that the physical bandwidth of the primary path is larger than the priority bandwidth of each alternate trunks, the system and method may notify a network administrator. In the event that one or more alternate trunks have priority bandwidths larger than the physical bandwidth of the primary path, the system and method may select an alternate trunk from the one or more alternate trunks having priority bandwidths larger than the physical bandwidth of the primary path based on a pre-determined order of priority bandwidth.