HIGH AVAILABILITY AND FAILOVER

• US 20160210209A1
• Filed: 01/15/2015
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Verkaik, Patrick Douglas, Shanks, Robert Tristan
• Granted Patent: US 10,061,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/00 Error detection; Error correction; Monitoring error detection, correction or monitoring in information storage based on relative movement between record carrier and transducer G11B20/18; monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing G11B27/36; in static stores G11C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2005 using redundant communication controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2033 switching over of hardware resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2048 where the redundant components share neither address space nor persistent storage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3051 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the configuration of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring the presence of processing resources, peripherals, I/O links, software programs verification or detection of system hardware configuration G06F11/2247
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3452 Performance evaluation by statistical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/805 Real-time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for high availability and failover. A device obtains an external identity designated for a set of devices on a network, the set of devices comprising the device and a second device, and the external identity comprising public address settings which the set of devices can use when in live mode to communicate with devices outside of the network. While the device is in failover mode and the second device is in live mode, the device listens for heartbeat messages transmitted from the second device. Next, the device detects a failover event when a predetermined number of heartbeat messages have not been received by the device. In response to the failover event, the device then changes from failover mode to live mode and assumes the external identity.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

listening, via a first device on a network, for heartbeat messages transmitted from a second device on the network, the first device operating in failover mode and the second device operating in live mode;

detecting a failover event when a predetermined number of heartbeat messages are not received from the second device within a predetermined period of time;

in response to the failover event, switching the first device from failover mode to live mode; and

obtaining, via the first device, an external identity for communicating with devices outside of the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the external identity is a virtual identity generated by a cloud system for shared use by the first device and the second device depending on which device is operating in live mode, the virtual identity comprising a public internet protocol (IP) address and a virtual media access control (MAC) address, wherein the first device is also assigned a private identity for communicating with devices within the network, the private identity comprising a private IP address and a MAC address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein listening to heartbeat messages comprises receiving, from the second device, heartbeat messages at predetermined intervals of time, the method further comprising sending, via the first device, heartbeat messages when operating in live mode.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing data between the first device and the second device, the data comprising at least one of dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) settings, network address translation (NAT) state, or a port number.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the port number comprises a VPN port number associated with a VPN tunnel connecting the network to a cloud system, the VPN tunnel being shared by the first device and the second device to communicate with the cloud system, the data synchronized between the first device and the second device allowing for a handoff of the VPN tunnel between the first device and the second device that is triggered by at least one of a failover event or a change in an operating mode of one of the first device or the second device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the heartbeat messages include priority information defining a priority of the second device, the priority being used to determine which device to operate in live mode based on the priority defined in the heartbeat messages and an associated priority of the first device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending status information to a cloud system via a tunnel between the cloud system and the first device, wherein the status information comprises at least one of a failover state, an operating mode, or a health status, and wherein the status information is associated with at least one of the first device or the second device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device listens to heartbeat messages over one or more virtual local area networks (VLANs) configured on one or more ports on the first device, and wherein the first device receives, from the second device, synchronization information for establishing a connection with a cloud system through a tunnel previously used by the second device to communicate with the cloud system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device actively provisions services in the network while operating in live mode, and wherein the first device remains on but does not actively provision the services on the network while operating in failover mode, and wherein the first device reports data to a cloud system via a VPN tunnel between the cloud system and the network while operating in live mode, wherein the first device establishes the VPN tunnel to the cloud system using a VPN port number received from the second device and at least one of the external identity and a private identity associated with the first device.

10. A system operating in live mode on a computer network, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

associating an external identity generated by a cloud system with the system, the external identity comprising a public address for communicating with devices outside of the computer network;

sending heartbeat messages to a failover device operating in failover mode in the computer network;

sending the external identity to the failover device for use by the failover device to communicate with devices outside of the computer network when operating in live mode; and

in response to a failover event;

switching the system from live mode to at least one of failover mode, standby mode, inactive mode, or shutoff mode; and

disassociating the external identity with the system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the external identity comprises a virtual internet protocol (IP) address and a virtual media access control (MAC) address, wherein the system is assigned a private identity for communicating within the network, the private identity comprising a private IP address and a MAC address.

12. The system of claim 10, the computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the processor, perform operations comprising:

synchronizing data between the system and the failover device, the data comprising settings associated with a tunnel between the system and the cloud system, wherein the data is synchronized between the system and the failover device via a link between the system and the failover device established based on settings generated by the cloud system.

13. The system of claim 10, the computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the processor, perform operations comprising sending the external identity to the failover device in response to at least one of a request or the failover event.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, via a first device on a network, heartbeat messages transmitted from a second device on the network, the first device operating in failover mode and the second device operating in live mode;

synchronizing data between the first device and the second device, the data comprising settings associated with a tunnel between a cloud system and the second device;

detecting a failover event when a predetermined number of heartbeat messages are not received by the first device from the second device within a predetermined period of time; and

in response to the failover event, switching the first device from failover mode to live mode;

associating an external identity generated by the cloud system with the first device, the external identity comprising a public address for communicating with devices outside of the network; and

based on the data synchronized between the first device and the second device, establishing a connection with the cloud system via the tunnel to yield a tunnel handoff between the second device and the first device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the external identity comprises a virtual internet protocol (IP) address and a virtual hardware address, wherein the first device is assigned a private identity for communicating within the network, the private identity comprising a private IP address and a hardware address.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the data is synchronize between the first device and the second device via a link between the first device and the second device, the link being established based on settings received from the cloud system.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the tunnel comprises a VPN tunnel and wherein the data comprises VPN port settings, wherein the first device uses the VPN port settings to establish the VPN tunnel with the cloud system.

18. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving heartbeat messages transmitted from a live device on a network, the system operating in failover mode on the network and the live device operating in live mode on the network;

detecting a failover event when a predetermined number of heartbeat messages are not received from the live device within a predetermined period of time;

in response to the failover event, switching the system from failover mode to live mode; and

obtaining an external identity for communicating with devices outside of the network, the external identify being previously used by the live device when operating in live mode.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the external identity is a virtual identity generated by a cloud system, the virtual identity comprising a public internet protocol (IP) address and a virtual media access control (MAC) address, wherein the system is also assigned a private identity for communicating with devices within the network, the private identity comprising a private IP address and a MAC address.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the system and the live device synchronize data via a link between the system and the live device, wherein the link is established based on settings received from a cloud system, and wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores additional instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform an operation comprising:

in response to the failure event, performing a VPN tunnel handoff between the system and the live device to establish a connection between the system and the cloud system based on a VPN tunnel previously established between the cloud system and the live device, the VPN tunnel being established based on the data synchronized via the link between the system and the live device, the data comprising at least one of a VPN port number or NAT state.