High availability networking with virtual IP address failover

• US 6,718,383 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2000
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Hebert, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUOC H
• Application Number:
  US09/588,130
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 709/105, 709/225, 709/226, 709/229, 709/201, 709/238, 709/240, 709/231, 709/245, 709/239, 709/221, 709/223, 709/224, 709/235, 714/4, 714/56
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/677 Multiple interfaces, e.g. multihomed nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• 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

A method and mechanism, operating within an application layer of the architectural model of a communications protocol, for maintaining high availability in a computer network utilizing virtual Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. A backup connection is created wherein a second network card is added to a node of a computer network. A failover mechanism operating within the application layer captures an original virtual IP configuration corresponding to a primary network connection of the node and monitors the primary network connection. Upon detecting a failure of the primary network connection, the failover mechanism halts monitoring of the primary connection, captures the current virtual IP configuration of the primary network connection, configures the second network interface with the parameters of the primary network interface, and brings up the second interface. If the current virtual IP configuration was successfully captured, it is used in the configuration of the second interface. If the current virtual IP configuration was not successfully captured, the original virtual IP configuration is used in the configuration of the second interface.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining high availability in a computer network utilizing virtual Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, said method comprising:

adding a first High Availability Networking (HAnet) mechanism to a first node of said computer network, wherein said HAnet mechanism operates within an application layer of an architectural model of said computer network;

adding a second network interface to said computer network;

capturing a first virtual IP address configuration corresponding to a first network interface of said first node, wherein said first virtual IP address configuration is captured on startup;

monitoring a first network connection corresponding to said first network interface, wherein said monitoring is performed by said first HAnet mechanism;

detecting a failure of said first network connection, wherein said failure is detected by said first HAnet mechanism; and

performing a failover from said first network connection to said second network connection in response to detecting said failure, wherein said failover is performed by said first HAnet mechanism.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said HAnet mechanism comprises computer software.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring comprises said first node monitoring a heartbeat of said first network connection.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said heartbeat comprises said first node conveying request packets and receiving reply packets, wherein said request packets and said reply packets are conveyed via said first network interface.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein detecting said failure of said first network connection comprises detecting said reply packets are not received.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring comprises polling a status register corresponding to said first network interface.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said status register is in a network interface card.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said detecting said failure of said first network connection comprises detecting said status register indicates said first network connection has failed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein performing said failover comprises disabling said first network interface and enabling said second network interface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said failover comprises:

pausing monitoring of said first network connection;

capturing a second virtual IP address configuration corresponding to said first network interface;

disabling said first network interface;

configuring said second network interface with interface address parameters corresponding to said first network interface; and

enabling said second network interface; and

resuming monitoring, wherein said second network interface is monitored.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said interface address parameters include an IP address, broadcast address, netmask address, MAC address and a virtual IP address configuration.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said virtual IP address configuration is said second virtual IP address configuration, in response to detecting said second virtual IP address configuration is valid.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said enabling is subsequent to the expiration of a time delay, wherein said time delay corresponds to a delay parameter read from a configuration file.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said virtual IP address configuration is said first virtual IP address configuration, in response to detecting said second virtual IP address configuration is not valid.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said first network interface and said second network interface comprise Ethernet adapters.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said first network interface and said second network interface comprise Gigabit Ethernet adapters.

17. A network node comprising:

a first network interface;

a second network interface;

a High Availability Networking (HAnet) mechanism, wherein said HAnet mechanism operates within an application layer of an architectural model of said computer network, wherein said HAnet mechanism is configured to capture a first virtual IP address configuration corresponding to said first network interface, wherein said first virtual IP address configuration is captured on startup, and wherein said HAnet mechanism is configured to monitor said first network interface, and wherein said HAnet mechanism is configured to perform a failover from said first network interface to said second network interface in response to detecting a failure of a first network connection corresponding to said first network interface.

18. The network node of claim 17, wherein said HAnet mechanism is configured to monitor said first network interface by monitoring a heartbeat of said first network connection.

19. The network node of claim 18, wherein said heartbeat comprises conveying request packets and receiving reply packets via said first network interface.

20. The network node of claim 17, wherein said HAnet mechanism is configured to monitor said first network interface by polling a status register of said first network interface.

21. The network node of claim 17, wherein said failover comprises disabling said first network interface and enabling said second network interface.

22. The network node of claim 17, wherein in performing said failover, said HAnet mechanism is configured to:

pause monitoring of said first network interface;

capture a second virtual IP address configuration corresponding to said first network interface;

disable said first network interface;

configure said second network interface with interface address parameters corresponding to said first network interface; and

enable said second network interface; and

resume monitoring, wherein said second network interface is monitored.

23. The network node of claim 22, wherein said interface address parameters include an IP address, broadcast address, netmask address, and a virtual IP address configuration.

24. The network node of claim 23, wherein said virtual IP address configuration is said second virtual IP address configuration, in response to detecting said second virtual IP address configuration is valid.

25. The network node of claim 23, wherein said virtual IP address configuration is said first virtual IP address configuration, in response to detecting said second virtual IP address configuration is not valid.

26. The network node of claim 17, wherein said first network interface and said second network interface comprise Ethernet adapters.

27. The network node of claim 17, wherein said first network interface and said second network interface comprise Gigabit Ethernet adapters.

28. A computer network configured to maintain high availability, said computer network comprising:

a first node, wherein said first node includes a first High Availability Networking (HAnet) mechanism, wherein said first HAnet mechanism operates within an application layer of an architectural model of said computer network;

a first network device;

a second network connection;

a first network connection, wherein said first network connection is between said first node and said first network device, wherein said HAnet mechanism is configured to capture a first virtual IP address configuration corresponding to said first network connection, wherein said first virtual IP address configuration is captured on startup, and wherein said first HAnet mechanism is configured to monitor said first network connection, and wherein said first HAnet mechanism is configured to perform a failover from said first network connection to said second network connection in response to detecting a failure of said first network connection.

29. The computer network of claim 28, wherein said first HAnet mechanism is configured to monitor said first network connection by polling a status register corresponding to a network interface of said first node, wherein said network interface corresponds to said first network connection.

30. The computer network of claim 28, wherein said failover comprises disabling said first network connection and enabling said second network connection.

31. The computer network of claim 28, wherein in performing said failover, said HAnet mechanism is configured to:

pause monitoring of said first network connection;

capture a second virtual IP address configuration corresponding to a first network interface of said first node, wherein said first network interface corresponds to said first network connection;

disable said first network interface;

configure said second network interface with interface address parameters corresponding to said first network interface; and

enable said second network interface; and

resume monitoring, wherein said second network interface is monitored.

32. The computer network of claim 31, wherein said interface address parameters include an IP address, broadcast address, netmask address, and a virtual IP address configuration.

33. The computer network of claim 32, wherein said virtual IP address configuration is said second virtual IP address configuration, in response to detecting said second virtual EP address configuration is valid.

34. The computer network of claim 32, wherein said virtual EP address configuration is said first virtual EP address configuration, in response to detecting said second virtual EP address configuration is not valid.

35. The computer network of claim 28, wherein a first network interface of said first node corresponding to said first network connection and a second network interface of said first node corresponding to said second network connection comprise Ethernet adapters.

36. The computer network of claim 28, wherein a first network interface of said first node corresponding to said first network connection and a second network interface of said first node corresponding to said second network connection comprise Gigabit Ethernet adapters.