A method is provided in one example and includes assigning a virtual switch identifier to a group of a plurality of switches in which each of the plurality of switches is configured with a redundancy protocol. The method further includes configuring a redundancy protocol priority value for each the plurality of switches, and generating at least one link-state routing protocol message including priority information indicative of the redundancy protocol priority value associated with one or more of the plurality of switches. The method further includes distributing the at least one link-state routing protocol message to one or more of the plurality of switches.