A METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SUPPORTING DISTRIBUTED RELAY CONTROL PROTOCOL (DRCP) OPERATIONS UPON COMMUNICATION FAILURE

A method implemented in a network device of a link aggregation group, wherein the network device and a neighbor network device are included in a portal of the link aggregation group, and wherein the network device is coupled to the neighbor network device via an intra-portal port, IPP. The method comprises entering an expired state at the network device upon a determination that distributed resilient control protocol, DRCP, is enable at the IPP, wherein the network device sets a DRCP state parameter of the network device to expired. Upon receiving a distributed relay control protocol data unit, DRCPDU, before expiration of a timer, wherein the DRCPDU includes neighbor network device's state information, the network device determines that the received DRCPDU is associated with the portal. The network device then determines that the received DRCPDU is compatible with the network device; and the network device records neighbor network device's state information included in the received DRCPDU as state operational variables of the neighbor network device at the network device.