System and method for remotely updating a network device

• US 20050047326A1
• Filed: 08/28/2003
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ADTRAN Incorporated (ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADTRAN Incorporated (ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Puon, Roberto, Perkinson, David Glenn
• Granted Patent: US 7,349,327 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• 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 45/563 Software download or update

Abstract

A router comprising first router logic configured to operate the router and boot logic configured to initialize deactivation of the first router logic and initialize activation of updated router logic, if the updated router logic experiences an error during execution.

Claims

1. A router comprising:

first router logic configured to operate the router; and

boot logic configured to initialize deactivation of the first router logic and initialize activation of updated router logic, if the updated router logic experiences an error during execution.

2. The router of claim 1, wherein the error during execution is an operational failure.

3. The router of claim 2, further comprising a communication interface.

4. The router as claimed in claim 3, wherein the communication interface is a dial-up modem.

5. The router as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

first configuration data; and

fail-safe configuration data.

6. The router as claimed in claim 5, wherein the boot logic is further configured to initialize activation of the updated router logic in conjunction with the first configuration data.

7. The router as claimed in claim 6, wherein the boot logic is further configured to initialize activation of the first router logic in conjunction with the first configuration data if the updated router logic experiences the error when executed with the first configuration data.

8. The router as claimed in claim 7, wherein the boot logic is further configured to initialize activation of the updated router logic in conjunction with the fail-safe configuration data if activation of the first router logic with the first configuration data produces the error.

9. The router as claimed in claim 1, wherein the updated router logic is configured to store, in memory, a data value indicative of a failure during execution of the updated router logic.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the boot logic is further configured to analyze the data value, the boot logic further configured to initialize activation of the first router logic in conjunction with first configuration data if the data value indicates that a previous failed execution occurred during execution of the updated router logic with the first configuration data.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the boot logic is further configured to initialize activation of the updated router logic with fail-safe configuration data if the data value indicates that the previous failed execution occurred during execution of the first router logic with the first configuration data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the boot logic is configured to initialize activation of the original router logic with the fail-safe configuration data if the data value indicates that the previous failed execution occurred during execution of the updated router logic with the fail-safe configuration.

13. A router comprising:

a communication interface;

first router logic configured to perform routing operations via the communication interface;

means for receiving, via the communication interface, updated router logic;

means for activating the updated router logic in conjunction with a first configuration data;

means for activating the first router logic in conjunction with the first configuration data in response to an error associated with execution of the updated router logic; and

means for activating the updated router logic in conjunction with fail-safe configuration data, if an error is detected during activation of the updated router logic in conjunction with the first configuration data.

14. The router as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a second communication interface.

15. The router as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second communication interface is a dial-up modem.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15, further comprising means for communicating with the router via the second communication interface from a remote management site if the update router logic is activated in conjunction with the fail-safe configuration data.

17. A computer-readable medium having a computer program, the program comprising:

logic for receiving updated router logic via a communication interface;

logic for deactivating original router logic;

logic for activating the updated router logic in conjunction with first configuration data;

logic for activating the original router logic in conjunction with the first configuration data if the updated router logic experiences an error; and

logic for activating the updated router logic in conjunction with fail-safe configuration data if the first router logic experiences an error.

18. A router update method comprising the steps of:

receiving updated router logic via a communication interface;

deactivating first router logic currently being executed;

rebooting the router;

activating the updated router logic in conjunction with first configuration data in response to the receiving step;

activating the first router logic, in response to the rebooting step, in conjunction with the first configuration data, if the updated router logic experiences a first error; and

activating the updated router logic in conjunction with fail-safe configuration data, in response to the rebooting step, if the first router logic experiences a second error with the first configuration data.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of activating the first router logic in conjunction with the fail-safe configuration data, if the updated router logic experiences a third error with the fail-safe configuration data.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein activating the first router logic in conjunction with the fail-safe configuration data enables a user access to the router remotely.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of:

remotely determining a cause, by the user, for the first error.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein activating the updated router logic in conjunction with the fail-safe configuration enables a user access to the router remotely.