IEC 62439-6:2010(E) is applicable to high-availability automation networks based on the ISO/IEC 8802-3 (IEEE 802.3) (Ethernet) technology. It specifies a recovery protocol based on a ring topology, designed to react deterministically on a single failure of an inter-switch link or switch in the network. Each switch has equal management role in the network. Double rings are supported. It cancels and replaces IEC 62439 published in 2008 and constitutes a technical revision. It includes the following significant technical changes with respect to IEC 62439 (2008):
- adding a calculation method for RSTP (rapid spanning tree protocol, IEEE 802.1Q),
- adding two new redundancy protocols: HSR (High-availability Seamless Redundancy) and DRP (Distributed Redundancy Protocol),
- moving former Clauses 1 to 4 (introduction, definitions, general aspects) and the Annexes (taxonomy, availability calculation) to IEC 62439-1, which serves now as a base for the other documents,
- moving Clause 5 (MRP) to IEC 62439-2 with minor editorial changes,
- moving Clause 6 (PRP) was to IEC 62439-3 with minor editorial changes,
- moving Clause 7 (CRP) was to IEC 62439-4 with minor editorial changes, and
- moving Clause 8 (BRP) was to IEC 62439-5 with minor editorial changes,
- adding a method to calculate the maximum recovery time of RSTP in a restricted configuration (ring) to IEC 62439-1 as Clause 8,
- adding specifications of the HSR (High-availability Seamless Redundancy) protocol, which shares the principles of PRP to IEC 62439-3 as Clause 5, and
- introducing the DRP protocol as IEC 62439-6.

This publication is to be read in conjunction with IEC 62439-1:2010.