Non-disruptively rerouting network communications from a secondary network path to a primary path

• US 6,542,934 B1
• Filed: 04/27/2000
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mitchell, John O., Bader, Lance D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, HIEU C
• Application Number:
  US09/559,613
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201-203, 709/237-239, 709/425, 709/575, 370/242, 370/227, 370/228, 714/4
• US Class Current: 709/239
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2007 using redundant communication media
• 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 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products for the reassignment of communications sessions to a primary network communications path from a secondary network communications path are provided, which detect the availability of the primary network communications path and reroute existing transferable communications sessions to the primary network communications path from the secondary network communications path. Non-transferable communications sessions are maintained over the secondary network communications path until such non-transferable communications sessions are terminated. Upon termination of all such non-transferable communications sessions, the secondary network communications path may be deactivated. Additionally, new communications sessions may be assigned to the primary network communications path if the availability of the primary network communications path has been detected. Moreover, the reassignment of communications sessions to a primary network communications path from a secondary network communications path may be performed automatically by the network control software, without disruption of the communications sessions.

Claims

1. A method of reassigning communications sessions to a primary network communications path from a secondary network communications path, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting the availability of the primary network communications path;

non-disruptively rerouting existing transferable communications sessions to the primary network communications path from the secondary network communications path; and

maintaining non-transferable communications sessions over the secondary network communications path until the non-transferable communications sessions are terminated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of rerouting existing transferable communications sessions comprises the steps of:

rerouting existing non-disruptively reroutable communications sessions to the primary network communications path; and

rerouting existing non-disruptively terminable communications sessions to the primary network communications path.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of rerouting non-disruptively terminable communications sessions comprises the steps of:

terminating existing non-disruptively terminable communications sessions on the secondary network communications path after detecting the availability of the primary network communications path; and

re-initiating the non-disruptively terminable communications sessions on the primary network communications path.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said terminating step comprises terminating existing non-disruptively terminable communications sessions on the secondary network communications path by deactivating the secondary network communications path once all the non-transferrable communications sessions are terminated.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the communications network is a System Network Architecture network operating with Advanced Peer-to-Peer networking and High Performance Routing, and wherein said rerouting non-disruptively reroutable communications sessions step comprises rerouting High Performance Routing sessions to the primary network communications path from the secondary network communications path.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of assigning new communications sessions to the primary network communications path if said detecting step detects the availability of the primary network communications path.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said detecting, rerouting, maintaining and assigning steps are performed automatically, and wherein all communications sessions are rerouted to the primary network communications path without disruption of the communications sessions.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the communications network is a System Network Architecture network operating with Advanced Peer-to-Peer networking and High Performance Routing and wherein said rerouting step comprises:

sending a quiesce secondary link signal to the High Performance Routing controller that reroutes existing High Performance Routing sessions to the primary network communications path from the secondary network communications path; and

rerouting existing CP-CP and CPSVRMGR communications sessions to the primary network communications path from the secondary network communications path; and

wherein said assigning step comprises assigning new communications sessions to the primary network communications path if said detecting step detects the availability of the primary network communications path by sending a quiesce secondary link signal to Topology and Route Selection.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the primary network communications path carries only APPN traffic.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of deactivating the secondary network communications path once all the non-transferable communications sessions are terminated.

11. A method of assigning communications sessions between primary and secondary network communications paths, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying a failure in the primary network communications path;

activating the secondary network communications path;

detecting the availability of the primary network communications path;

then

assigning new communications sessions to the primary network communications path;

non-disruptively rerouting existing transferable communications sessions to the primary network communications path from the secondary network communications path; and

maintaining non-transferable communications sessions over the secondary network communications path until the non-transferable communications sessions are terminated.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of rerouting existing transferable communications sessions comprises the steps of:

rerouting non-disruptively reroutable communications sessions to the primary network communications path;

terminating existing non-disruptively terminable communications sessions on the secondary network communications path after detecting the availability of the primary network communications path; and

reinitiating the non-disruptively terminable communications sessions on the primary network communications path.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said identifying, activating, detecting, assigning, rerouting and maintaining steps are performed automatically, and wherein all communications sessions are terminated or rerouted to the primary network communications path without any disruption of the communications sessions.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of deactivating the secondary communications path once all the non-transferable communications sessions are terminated.

15. A system for reassigning communications sessions to a primary network communications path from a secondary network communications path, the system comprising:

means for detecting the availability of the primary network communications path;

means for non-disruptively rerouting existing transferable communications sessions to the primary network communications path from the secondary network communications path; and

means for maintaining non-transferable communications sessions over the secondary network communications path until the non-transferable communications sessions are terminated.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said means for rerouting existing transferable communications sessions comprises:

means for rerouting existing non-disruptively reroutable communications sessions to the primary network communications path; and

means for rerouting existing non-disruptively terminable communications sessions to the primary network communications path.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said means for rerouting non-disruptively terminable communications sessions comprises:

means for terminating existing non-disruptively terminable communications sessions on the secondary network communications path after detecting the availability of the primary network communications path; and

means for re-initiating the non-disruptively terminable communications sessions on the primary network communications path.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the communications network is a System Network Architecture network operating with Advanced Peer-to-Peer networking and High Performance Routing, and wherein said means for rerouting non-disruptively reroutable communications sessions comprises means for rerouting High Performance Routing sessions to the primary network communications path from the secondary network communications path.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for assigning new communications sessions to the primary network communications path if said means for detecting detects the availability of the primary network communications path.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the communications network is a System Network Architecture network operating with Advanced Peer-to-Peer networking and High Performance Routing and wherein said means for rerouting comprises:

means for sending a quiesce secondary link signal to the High Performance Routing controller that reroutes existing High Performance Routing sessions to the primary network communications path from the secondary network communications path; and

means for rerouting existing CP-CP and CPSVRMGR communications sessions to the primary network communications path from the secondary network communications path; and

wherein said means for assigning comprises means for assigning new communications sessions to the primary network communications path if said means for detecting detects the availability of the primary network communications path by sending a quiesce secondary link signal to Topology and Route Selection.

21. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for deactivating the secondary network communications path once all the non-transferable communications sessions are terminated.

22. A system for assigning communications sessions between primary and secondary network communications paths, the system comprising:

means for identifying a failure in the primary network communications path;

means for activating the secondary network communications path;

means for detecting the availability of the primary network communications path;

means for assigning new communications sessions to the primary network communications path;

means for non-disruptively rerouting existing transferable communications sessions to the primary network communications path from the secondary network communications path; and

means for maintaining non-transferable communications sessions over the secondary network communications path until the non-transferable communications sessions are terminated.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said means for rerouting existing transferable communications sessions comprises:

means for rerouting non-disruptively reroutable communications sessions to the primary network communications path;

means for terminating existing non-disruptively terminable communications sessions on the secondary network communications path after detecting the availability of the primary network communications path; and

means for reinitiating the non-disruptively terminable communications sessions on the primary network communications path.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the communication sessions operate using the Advanced Peer-to-Peer networking protocol and wherein said means for rerouting non-disruptively reroutable communications sessions comprises means for rerouting high performance routing sessions to the primary network communications path from the secondary network communications path;

wherein said means for terminating comprises means for terminating existing CP-CP and CPSVRMGR communications sessions on the secondary network communications path after detecting the availability of the primary network communications path; and

wherein said means for reinitiating comprises means for reinitiating the existing CP-CP and CPSVRMGR communications sessions on the primary network communications path.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising means for deactivating the secondary communications path once all the non-transferable communications sessions are terminated.

26. A computer program product for reassigning communications sessions to a primary network communications path from a secondary network communications path, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising;

computer-readable code means for detecting the availability of the primary network communications path;

computer-readable code means for non-disruptively rerouting existing transferable communications sessions to the primary network communications path from the secondary network communications path; and

computer-readable code means for maintaining non-transferable communications sessions over the secondary network communications path until the non-transferable communications sessions are terminated.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein said computer-readable code means for rerouting existing transferable communications sessions comprises:

computer-readable code means for rerouting existing non-disruptively reroutable communications sessions to the primary network communications path; and

computer-readable code means for rerouting existing non-disruptively terminable communications sessions to the primary network communications path.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein said computer-readable code means for rerouting non-disruptively terminable communications sessions comprises:

computer-readable code means for terminating existing non-disruptively terminable communications sessions on the secondary network communications path after detecting the availability of the primary network communications path; and

computer-readable code means for re-initiating the non-disruptively terminable communications sessions on the primary network communications path.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the communications network is a System Network Architecture network operating with Advanced Peer-to-Peer networking and High Performance Routing, and wherein said computer-readable code means for rerouting non-disruptively reroutable communications sessions comprises computer-readable code means for rerouting High Performance Routing sessions to the primary network communications path from the secondary network communications path.

30. The computer program product of claim 26, further comprising computer-readable code means for assigning new communications sessions to the primary network communications path if said computer-readable code means for detecting detects the availability of the primary network communications path.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the communications network is a System Network Architecture network operating with Advanced Peer-to-Peer networking and High Performance Routing and wherein said computer-readable code means for rerouting comprises:

computer-readable code means for sending a quiesce secondary link signal to the High Performance Routing controller that reroutes existing High Performance Routing sessions to the primary network communications path from the secondary network communications path; and

computer-readable code means for rerouting existing CP-CP and CPSVRMGR communications sessions to the primary network communications path from the secondary network communications path; and

wherein said computer-readable code means for assigning comprises computer-readable code means for assigning new communications sessions to the primary network communications path if said computer-readable code means for detecting detects the availability of the primary network communications path by sending a quiesce secondary link signal to Topology and Route Selection.

32. The computer program product of claim 26, further comprising computer-readable code means for deactivating the secondary network communications path once all the non-transferable communications sessions are terminated.

33. A computer program product of assigning communications sessions between primary and secondary network communications paths, the commute program product comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising;

computer-readable code means for identifying a failure in the primary network communications path;

computer-readable code means for activating the secondary network communications path;

computer-readable code means for detecting the availability of the primary network communications path;

computer-readable code means for assigning new communications sessions to the primary network communications path;

computer-readable code means for non-disruptively rerouting existing transferable communications sessions to the primary network communications path from the secondary network communications path; and

computer-readable code means for maintaining non-transferable communications sessions over the secondary network communications path until the non-transferable communications sessions are terminated.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein said computer-readable code means for rerouting existing transferable communications sessions comprises:

computer-readable code means for rerouting non-disruptively reroutable communications sessions to the primary network communications path;

computer-readable code means for terminating existing non-disruptively terminable communications sessions on the secondary network communications path after detecting the availability of the primary network communications path; and

computer-readable code means for reinitiating the non-disruptively terminable communications sessions on the primary network communications path.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the communication sessions operate using the Advanced Peer-to-Peer networking protocol and wherein said computer-readable code means for rerouting non-disruptively reroutable communications sessions comprises computer-readable code means for rerouting high performance routing sessions to the primary network communications path from the secondary network communications path;

wherein said computer-readable code means for terminating comprises computer-readable code means for terminating existing CP-CP and CPSVRMGR communications sessions on the secondary network communications path after detecting the availability of the primary network communications path; and

wherein said computer-readable code means for reinitiating comprises computer-readable code means for reinitiating the existing CP-CP and CPSVRMGR communications sessions on the primary network communications path.

36. The computer program product of claim 35, further comprising computer-readable code means for deactivating the secondary communications path once all the non-transferable communications sessions are terminated.