Network router having an internal automated backup

• US 20030131287A1
• Filed: 01/09/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mitchell, Arthur Devon
• Granted Patent: US 7,028,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/58 Association of routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/60 Router architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A network router having an internal automated backup is provided. Specifically, the present invention provides a network router having at least one primary port facility, a switched fabric, and a backup card array. When a router card connected to a primary port facility fails, a failure message is automatically sent to the switched fabric. The switched fabric then disconnects the failed card from the primary port facility and places it in an extended bay. Thereafter, the switched fabric connects a backup router card from the backup card array to the primary port facility. In addition, the primary port facilities under the present invention can include a primary and a secondary processor for more reliable communication.

Claims

1. A network router having an internal automated backup, comprising:

a primary port facility;

a card array having at least one backup router card; and

a switched fabric, wherein the switched fabric automatically replaces a failed router card connected to the primary port facility with a backup router card from the card array.

2. The router of claim 1, wherein the primary port facility comprises a primary processor and a secondary processor.

3. The router of claim 1, wherein the primary port facility has serial connection ports for connecting to router cards.

4. The router of claim 1, wherein the switched fabric comprises:

an information system for receiving a failure message from the primary port facility; and

a switching system for mechanically replacing the failed router card with the backup router card in response to the failure message.

5. The router of claim 4, wherein the information system includes a bus for communicating routing information between the primary port facility and the card array.

6. The router of claim 4, wherein the switching system includes a replacement mechanism for mechanically replacing the failed router card with the backup router card.

7. The router of claim 1, wherein the failed router card is moved into an expanded bay by the switched fabric.

8. A network router having an internal automated backup, comprising:

a primary port facility;

a card array having at least one backup router card; and

a switched fabric for automatically replacing a failed router card connected to the primary port facility with a backup router card from the card array, wherein the switched fabric includes an information system for receiving a failure message from the primary port facility and a switching system for replacing the failed router card with the backup router card.

9. The router of claim 8, wherein the primary port facility includes a primary processor and a secondary processor.

10. The router of claim 8, wherein the switching system includes a replacement mechanism for mechanically replacing the failed router card with the backup router card.

11. The router of claim 8, wherein the information system includes a bus for communicating routing information between the primary port facility and the card array.

12. The router of claim 8, wherein router cards connect to the primary port facility and the card array via male-female connections.

13. The router of claim 8, wherein the failed router card is moved into an expanded bay by the switched fabric.

14. A network router having an internal automated backup, comprising:

a primary port facility having a primary processor and a secondary processor;

a card array having backup router cards; and

a switched fabric for automatically replacing a failed router card connected to the primary port facility with a backup router card from the card array, wherein the switched fabric includes an information system for receiving a failure message from the primary port facility and a switching system for mechanically replacing the failed router card with the backup router card.

15. The router of claim 14, wherein the switching system comprises a replacement mechanism that connects and disconnects router cards from the primary port facility and the card array.

16. The router of claim 15, wherein the router cards connect to the primary port facility and the card array via male-female connections.

17. The route of claim 14, wherein the information system includes a bus that communicates routing information between the primary port facility to the card array.

18. The router of claim 14, wherein the failed router card is moved into an expanded bay by the switched fabric.