Fault tolerant lane system
First Claim
1. In an Lan Emulation Configuration Server configured for use in an ATM network implementing a LAN emulation, a method of selecting a master Lan Emulation Configuration Server from among a plurality of Lan Emulation Configuration Servers in the ATM network, the method comprising:
- determining a relative hierarchical position among said plurality of Lan Emulation Configuration Servers said relative hierarchical position specifying that a given Lan Emulation Configuration Server is a higher Lan Emulation Configuration Server with respect to other Lan Emulation Configuration Servers lower hierarchical positions and said given Lan Emulation Configuration Server is a lower Lan Emulation Configuration Server with respect to other Lan Emulation Configuration Servers in higher hierarchical positions;
establishing a connection from said Lan Emulation Configuration Server to any other Lan Emulation Configuration Servers which are lower Lan Emulation Configuration Servers with respect to said Lan Emulation Configuration Server;
detecting any connections made by higher Lan Emulation Configuration Servers; and
if a connection is detected from a higher Lan Emulation Configuration Server, assuming the state of slave Lan Emulation Configuration Server, otherwise assuming the state of master Lan Emulation Configuration Server.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method are disclosed for providing a redundancy scheme in an ATM network providing a LAN emulation. The ATM network includes a set of LAN Emulation Connection Servers (LECS'"'"'s) which connect with each other to determine which servers are operational and to automatically select an operational master LECS. The master LECS maintains a back end verification circuit with a set of operational LAN Emulation Servers (LES'"'"'s), determines which operational LES will be the master LES, and directs LAN Emulation Clients (LEC'"'"'s) to that LES. LEC'"'"'s which lose their LES connection are directed to the proper LECS by a table stored in the ATM switch.
89 Citations
31 Claims
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1. In an Lan Emulation Configuration Server configured for use in an ATM network implementing a LAN emulation, a method of selecting a master Lan Emulation Configuration Server from among a plurality of Lan Emulation Configuration Servers in the ATM network, the method comprising:
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determining a relative hierarchical position among said plurality of Lan Emulation Configuration Servers said relative hierarchical position specifying that a given Lan Emulation Configuration Server is a higher Lan Emulation Configuration Server with respect to other Lan Emulation Configuration Servers lower hierarchical positions and said given Lan Emulation Configuration Server is a lower Lan Emulation Configuration Server with respect to other Lan Emulation Configuration Servers in higher hierarchical positions; establishing a connection from said Lan Emulation Configuration Server to any other Lan Emulation Configuration Servers which are lower Lan Emulation Configuration Servers with respect to said Lan Emulation Configuration Server; detecting any connections made by higher Lan Emulation Configuration Servers; and if a connection is detected from a higher Lan Emulation Configuration Server, assuming the state of slave Lan Emulation Configuration Server, otherwise assuming the state of master Lan Emulation Configuration Server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. In a device configured for use in an ATM network implementing a LAN emulation, a method of establishing and maintaining a connection to a master Lan Emulation Configuration Server the method comprising:
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evaluating a hierarchical list having an order ranking a plurality of Lan Emulation Configuration Servers; attempting connections from said device to each said Lan Emulation Configuration Servers according to the order of said hierarchical list; establishing a connection between said device and a first Lan Emulation Configuration Server for which an attempted connection is successful, said first Lan Emulation Configuration Server being a master Lan Emulation Configuration Server; and if said first Lan Emulation Configuration Server is redesignated as a slave Lan Emulation Configuration Server, breaking said connection. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. An Lan Emulation Configuration Server having a determinable state and being configured for use in an ATM network implementing a LAN emulation, said Lan Emulation Configuration Server comprising:
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means for determining a hierarchical position of said Lan Emulation Configuration Server among a plurality of Lan Emulation Configuration Servers; means for establishing a connection from said Lan Emulation Configuration Server to each lower Lan Emulation Configuration Server of said plurality of Lan Emulation Configuration Servers, said each lower Lan Emulation Configuration Server being in a lower hierarchical position relative to said Lan Emulation Configuration Server; means for detecting connections made to said Lan Emulation Configuration Server by a higher Lan Emulation Configuration Server of said plurality of Lan Emulation Configuration Servers said higher Lan Emulation Configuration Server being in a higher hierarchical position relative to said Lan Emulation Configuration Server; and means for switching said determinable state between a master state and slave state consistent with said hierarchical position and said connections made to said Lan Emulation Configuration Server. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. The Lan Emulation Configuration Server of 11 wherein said means for switching said determinable state switches said determinable state from the slave state to the master state upon the loss of a connection from a last remaining connected higher Lan Emulation Configuration Server.
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15. A device configured for connection to a master Lan Emulation Configuration Server in an ATM network implementing a LAN emulation, the device comprising:
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means for evaluating a hierarchical list having an order which ranks a plurality of Lan Emulation Configuration Servers and their respective ATM addresses from an ATM switch; means for atttempting connections to said Lan Emulation Configuration Servers according to the order of said hierarchical list; and means for establishing a connection between said device and a first Lan Emulation Configuration Server for which attempted connection is successful, said first Lan Emulation Configuration Server being a master Lan Emulation Configuration Server. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. In an Lan Emulation Configuration Server configured for use in an ATM network implementing a LAN emulation, a method for designating a master Lan Emulation Server comprising:
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for each Lan Emulation Server within a set of Lan Emulation Servers associated with said Lan Emulation Configuration Server, specifying a hierarchical position such that said each Lan Emulation Server is a higher Lan Emulation Server with respect to all other Lan Emulation Servers in an lower hierarchical position and said each Lan Emulation Server is a lower Lan Emulation Server with respect to all other Lan Emulation Servers in a higher hierarchical position; establishing a verification connection from each of said Lan Emulation Servers which is operational to said Lan Emulation Configuration Server; maintaining data indicating which members of the set of Lan Emulation Servers is connected to said master Lan Emulation Configuration Server; determining the highest Lan Emulation Server which is connected to said Lan Emulation Configuration Server; and designating said highest Lan Emulation Server as the master Lan Emulation Server. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 24, 25, 26)
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23. The method of 22 further including:
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breaking a verification connection with said slave Lan Emulation Server; rejecting verification requests from said slave Lan Emulation Server for Lan Emulation Configuration Servers connected to said slave Lan Emulation Server; and directing said Lan Emulation Configuration Servers connected to said slave Lan Emulation Server to said master Lan Emulation Server; whereby said each Lan Emulation Client is disconnected from said slave Lan Emulation Server and said each Lan Emulation Client is connected to said new current master Lan Emulation Server.
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27. An Lan Emulation Configuration Server comprising:
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means for assigning to each Lan Emulation Server within a set of Lan Emulation Servers a hierarchical position such that said each Lan Emulation Server is a higher Lan Emulation Server with respect to all other Lan Emulation Servers in a lower hierarchical position and said each Lan Emulation Server is a lower Lan Emulation Server with respect to all other Lan Emulation Servers in a higher hierarchical position; means for establishing a verification connection with each of said Lan Emulation Servers which is operational; means for determining which members of said set of Lan Emulation Servers are connected to said Lan Emulation Configuration Server; means for redesignating a current master Lan Emulation Server as a slave Lan Emulation Server and dropping said verification connection with said slave Lan Emulation Server; means for rejecting all verification requests from said slave Lan Emulation Server; and means for directing an Lan Emulation Client previously connected to said slave Lan Emulation Server to a new master Lan Emulation Server; whereby said Lan Emulation Configuration Servers is configured to redirect an Lan Emulation Client to a new master Lan Emulation Server. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. An Lan Emulation Server comprising:
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means for establishing a verification connection with an Lan Emulation Configuration Server; means for sending a verification request to a master Lan Emulation Configuration Server for each Lan Emulation Client connected to said Lan Emulation Server; and means for tearing down all connections between said Lan Emulation Server and said each Lan Emulation Client connected to said Lan Emulation Server upon the rejection of a verification request associated with said each Lan Emulation Client connected to said Lan Emulation Server; whereby said Lan Emulation Server either verifies or drops all Lan Emulation Client connections upon connection to the master Lan Emulation Configuration Servers. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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Specification