SHARING VALUE OF NETWORK VARIABLES WITH SUCCESSIVELY ACTIVE INTERFACES OF A COMMUNICATION NODE

• US 20090097848A1
• Filed: 10/12/2007
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tellabs Operations Incorporated (Infinera Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Tellabs Operations Incorporated (Infinera Corp.)
• Inventors: Sasak, Anthony L., O'Brien, Christopher V.
• Application Number:
  US11/871,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20090097848A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/006 Fault tolerance and recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/14 Monitoring arrangements for SDH/SONET rings H04J3/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1617 carrying packets or ATM cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

A method includes storing a value of shared variables from an active member of a plurality of packet-to-tdm interfaces. Another member of the plurality of packet-to-tdm interfaces is selected to become active. The value of shared variables is provided to the selected member.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a) storing values of shared variables from an active member of a plurality of packet-to-tdm interfaces;

b) selecting another member of the plurality of packet-to-tdm interfaces to become active; and

c) providing the value of shared variables to the selected member.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the value of shared variables is provided to the selected member after the selected member becomes active.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the value of shared variables is provided to the selected member prior to the selected member becoming active.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the packet-to-tdm interfaces communicate TDM data optically.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the packet-to-tdm interfaces communicate packets data electrically.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein a) comprises storing the value of the shared variables in a physical location external to the packet-to-tdm interfaces.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein c) comprises providing the value of the shared variables to the selected member by storing the value in one or more registers of the selected member.

8. A method comprising:

a) storing values of shared variables from an active first packet-to-tdm interface of a plurality of packet-to-tdm interfaces;

b) changing status of the first packet-to-tdm interface to inactive;

c) selecting a successor packet-to-tdm interface of the plurality of packet-to-tdm interfaces to replace functionality of the first packet-to-tdm interface;

d) changing status of the successor packet-to-tdm interface to active; and

e) copying the value of the shared variables to the successor packet-to-tdm interface.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the first and successor packet-to-tdm interfaces are distinct interfaces.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the value of shared variables is copied to the successor packet-to-tdm interface after the successor packet-to-tdm interface becomes the active member.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the value of shared variables is copied to the successor packet-to-tdm interface before the successor packet-to-tdm interface becomes the active member.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the packet-to-tdm interfaces communicate TDM data optically.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the packet-to-tdm interfaces communicate packet data electrically.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of packet-to-tdm interfaces including a first packet-to-tdm interface, wherein the first packet-to-tdm interface is an active interface for packet to time-division-multiplexed communications; and

a controller, wherein the controller retrieves and stores values of shared variables from the first packet-to-tdm interface, wherein the controller provides the stored values to a successor packet-to-tdm interface of the plurality of packet-to-tdm interfaces for performing the functionality of the first packet-to-tdm interface.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the first packet-to-tdm interface is physically distinct from the successor packet-to-tdm interface.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the first packet-to-tdm interface is removed to permit installation of the successor packet-to-tdm interface, wherein the successor packet-to-tdm interface utilizes a same physical location formerly used by the first packet-to-tdm interface.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein communicative coupling between controller and the first packet-to-tdm interface co-exists with communicative coupling between the controller and the successor packet-to-tdm interface.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the values are retrieved from registers of the first packet-to-tdm interface and provided to registers of the successor packet-to-tdm interface.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the first and successor packet-to-tdm interfaces communicate TDM data optically.