Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a fault handling method for a communication network that comprises a plurality of intersecting Ethernet rings including at least a first Ethernet ring having a first master node and a first transit node and a second Ethernet ring having a second master node and a second transit node, the first Ethernet ring and the second Ethernet ring intersecting at a first shared link connecting at least a first shared node and a second shared node shared between the first Ethernet ring and the second Ethernet ring, the method comprising a ring-extension process including the second master node joining the first Ethernet ring as a transit node upon determination of a fault in the first shared link, and the second master node sending a RING EXTEND message to notify the second transit node to join the first Ethernet ring as a transit node of the first Ethernet ring.