Simplifying connection establishment in systems accessing other systems via redundant addressable gateways

• US 20060015586A1
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Sharma, Manish, Joseph, Benoy, Keerthiveetil, Rajani, Banerjee, Indra, Chernoguzov, Alexendar
• Application Number:
  US10/861,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20060015586A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5092 by self-assignment, e.g. picking addresses at random and testing if they are already in use
• 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

According to an aspect of the present invention, any of the redundant gateways selected to operate as an active gateway, is configured to be accessible by a pre-specified address. As a result, any systems communicating with other systems via a gateway may use the same pre-specified address to access the other system irrespective of which of the redundant gateways is operating as an active gateway. The implementation of systems is simplified as a result.

Claims

1. A method of simplifying implementation of a first system accessing a plurality of systems via an active gateway, wherein said active gateway corresponds to any one of a plurality of redundant gateways, said method comprising:

configuring said first system to communicate with said active gateway using a pre-specified address;

selecting a specific gateway from said plurality of redundant gateways to operate as said active gateway; and

configuring said specific gateway to be accessible by said pre_specified address.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether said specific gateway is operational;

selecting another one of said plurality of redundant gateways as said active gateway if said specific gateway is not operational; and

configuring said another one of said plurality of redundant gateways to be accessible by said pre-specified address.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining comprises sending to said specific gateway a heartbeat message periodically, and determining that said specific gateway is operational if a response is received for said heartbeat message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting comprising:

checking at a time of initialization of each of said plurality of redundant gateway whether said pre-specified address is already in use; and

configuring the redundant gateway as said active gateway if said pre-specified address is already not used, otherwise, remaining dormant.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

reading a corresponding device number when each of said plurality of gateways are initialized;

receiving a base address in response to a request sent to a server; and

computing a self address as equaling said base address plus said device number.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said checking comprising:

executing a ping command with said pre-specified address;

examining a response to said ping command; and

deciding that said pre-specified address is already used if said response contains pre-specified address, otherwise deciding that pre-specified address is not used.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said plurality of redundant gateways comprise a primary gateway designated to operate as a default active gateway and a secondary gateway designated to operate as a default redundant gateway, wherein said checking is performed in said primary gateway and it is determined that said pre-specified address is already in use, said method further comprising:

determining whether said pre-specified address can be swapped; and

configuring said primary gateway to be accessible by said pre-specified address if said pre-specified address can be swapped.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said method is implemented in a manufacturing plan and said first system comprises a client system and each of said plurality of systems comprise one of a field device and control device.

9. A networking environment comprising:

a plurality of systems;

a first system to communicate with an active gateway using a pre-specified address to communicate with each of said plurality of systems; and

a plurality of redundant gateways, wherein any of said plurality of redundant gateways selected to operate as said active gateway is configured to be accessible by said pre_specified address.

10. The networking environment of claim 9, wherein said plurality of gateways are operable to:

determine whether said active gateway is operational;

select another one of said plurality of redundant gateways as said active gateway if said active gateway is not operational; and

configure said another one of said plurality of redundant gateways to be accessible by said pre-specified address.

11. The networking environment of claim 10, wherein said determine is performed by sending to said active gateway a heartbeat message periodically, and concluding that said active gateway is operational if a response is received for said heartbeat message.

12. The networking environment of claim 9, wherein said select is performed by:

checking at a time of initialization of each of said plurality of redundant gateway whether said pre-specified address is already in use; and

configuring the redundant gateway as said active gateway if said pre-specified address is already not used, otherwise, remaining dormant.

13. The networking environment of claim 12, wherein said plurality of redundant gateways comprise a primary gateway designated to operate as a default active gateway and a secondary gateway designated to operate as a default redundant gateway, wherein said checking is performed in said primary gateway and it is determined that said pre-specified address is already in use, said primary gateway is operable to:

determine whether said pre-specified address can be swapped; and

configure said primary gateway to be accessible by said pre-specified address if said pre-specified address can be swapped.

14. The networking environment of claim 13, wherein said first system comprises a client system and each of said plurality of systems comprise one of a field device and control device.

15. computer readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for causing each of a plurality of redundant gateway to simplifying implementation of a first system accessing a plurality of systems via an active gateway, wherein said active gateway corresponds to any one of a plurality of redundant gateways, wherein execution of said one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes said one or more processors to perform the actions of:

configuring any of said plurality of redundant gateways selected as said active gateway to be accessible by said pre_specified address,

whereby said first system can access said plurality of systems by using only said pre-specified address to communicate via said active gateway.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising:

determining whether said active gateway is operational;

selecting another one of said plurality of redundant gateways as said active gateway if said active gateway is not operational; and

configuring said another one of said plurality of redundant gateways to be accessible by said pre-specified address.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein said determining comprises sending to said active gateway a heartbeat message periodically, and determining that said active gateway is operational if a response is received for said heartbeat message.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein said selecting comprising:

checking at a time of initialization of each of said plurality of redundant gateway whether said pre-specified address is already in use; and

configuring the redundant gateway as said active gateway if said pre-specified address is already not used, otherwise, remaining dormant.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, further comprising:

reading a corresponding device number when each of said plurality of gateways are initialized;

receiving a base address in response to a request sent to a server; and

computing a self address as equaling said base address plus said device number.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein said checking comprising:

executing a ping command with said pre-specified address;

examining a response to said ping command; and

deciding that said pre-specified address is already used if said response contains pre-specified address, otherwise deciding that pre-specified address is not used.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein said plurality of redundant gateways comprise a primary gateway designated to operate as a default active gateway and a secondary gateway designated to operate as a default redundant gateway, wherein said checking is performed in said primary gateway and it is determined that said pre-specified address is already in use, further comprising:

determining whether said pre-specified address can be swapped; and

configuring said primary gateway to be accessible by said pre-specified address if said pre-specified address can be swapped.