High availability networking with quad trunking failover

• US 6,732,186 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2000
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• 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:
  US09/588,144
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 709/105, 709/201, 709/225, 709/226, 709/229, 709/231, 709/238, 709/239, 709/240, 709/255, 714/4, 714/6, 714/11, 714/12
• US Class Current: 709/239
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0846 based on copy from other elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity

Abstract

A method and mechanism operating within the Application layer of the architectural model for maintaining high availability in a computer network utilizing trunking technology. A backup connection is created wherein a second multi-port network card is added to a node of a computer network. A failover mechanism operating within the Application layer monitors an original, primary trunked network connection. Upon detecting a degradation in performance of the primary trunked connection that exceeds a threshold, the failover mechanism halts monitoring of the primary trunked connection, configures the second multi-port network interface with the parameters of the primary multi-port network interface, and brings up the second interface.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining high availability in a computer network with a trunked network connection, 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 trunked network connection to said computer network, wherein said second trunked network connection is between said first node and a second node of said computer network;

monitoring a first trunked network connection of said computer network, wherein said first trunked network connection is between said first node and said second node, and wherein said monitoring is by said first HAnet mechanism;

detecting a degradation in performance of said first trunked network connection, wherein said degradation is detected by said first HAnet mechanism;

performing a failover from said first trunked network connection to said second trunked network connection in response to detecting said degradation exceeds a first threshold, wherein said failover is performed by said first HAnet mechanism; and

continuing use of said first trunked network, in response to detecting said degradation does not exceed said threshold.

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

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first trunked network connection comprises a first multi-port network interface card in said first node coupled to a second multi-port network interface card in said second node, wherein said first multi-port network interface card is coupled to said second multi-port network interface card, and wherein said second trurked network connection comprises a third multi-port network interface card in said first node coupled to a fourth multi-port network interface card in said second node, wherein said third multi-port network interface card is coupled to said fourth multi-port network interface card.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said failover comprises:

pausing monitoring of said first multi-port network interface card;

disabling said first multi-port network interface card;

configuring said third multi-port network interface card with interface address parameters corresponding to said first multi-port network interface card;

enabling said third multi-port network interface card; and

resuming monitoring, wherein said third multi-port network interface card is monitored.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said interface address parameters include an IP address, broadcast address, netmask address and MAC address.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said interface address parameters further include a virtual IP address.

7. The method of claim 4, 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.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein said first multi-port network interface card, said second multi-port network interface card, said third multi-port network interface card, and said fourth multi-port network interface card are Ethernet adapters.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein said first multi-port network interface card, said second multi-port network interface card, said third multi-port network interface card, and said fourth multi-port network interface card are Gigabit Ethernet adapters.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said first node and said second node comprise servers.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring comprises said first node monitoring heartbeats corresponding to said of said first trunked network connection.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said heartbeats comprise said first node conveying request packets to said second node and said second node conveying reply packets to said first node, wherein said request packets and said reply packets are conveyed via said first trunked network connection.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein detecting said degradation of said first trunked network connection comprises detecting said reply packets are not received from said second node.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring comprises polling status registers corresponding to said first trunked network connection.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said status registers are in a multi-ported network interface card.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said detecting said degradation of said first trunked network connection comprises detecting a status register of said status registers indicates a connection corresponding to said first trunked network connection has failed.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein performing said failover comprises disabling said first trunked network connection and enabling said second trunked network connection.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

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

monitoring said first trunked network connection of said computer network, wherein said monitoring is by said second HAnet mechanism;

detecting said degradation of said first trunked network connection, wherein said degradation is detected by said second HAnet mechanism; and

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

19. A network node configured to support trunking, said network node comprising:

a first multi-port network interface;

a second multi-port 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 monitor said first multi-port network interface, and wherein said HAnet mechanism is configured to perform a failover from said first multi-port network interface to said second multi-port network interface in response to detecting a degradation in performance of a trunked network connection corresponding to said first multi-port network interface exceeds a threshold; and

wherein said mechanism is configured to refrain from performing said failover, in response to detecting said degradation does not exceed said threshold.

20. The network node of claim 19, wherein said HAnet mechanism is configured to monitor said first multi-port network interface by monitoring heartbeats of a trunked network connection corresponding to said first multi-port network interface.

21. The network node of claim 20, wherein said heartbeat comprises conveying request packets and receiving reply packets via said first multi-port network interface.

22. The network node of claim 19, wherein said HAnet mechanism is configured to monitor said first multi-port network interface by polling status registers of said first multi-port network interface.

23. The network node of claim 19, wherein said failover comprises disabling said first multi-port network interface and enabling said second multi-port network interface.

24. The network node of claim 19, wherein said failover comprises:

pausing monitoring of said first multi-port network interface;

disabling said first multi-port network interface;

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

enabling said second multi-port network interface; and

resuming monitoring, wherein said second multi-port network interface is monitored.

25. The network node of claim 24, wherein said interface address parameters include an IP address, broadcast address, netmask address and MAC address.

26. The network node of claim 25, wherein said interface address parameters further include a virtual IP address.

27. The network node of claim 19, wherein said first multi-port network interface and said second multi-port network interface comprise Ethernet adapters.

28. The network node of claim 19, wherein said first multi-port network interface and said second multi-port network interface comprise Gigabit Ethernet adapters.

29. A computer network configured with trunking technology and 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 second node;

a second trunked network connection, wherein said second trunked network connection is between said first node and said second node;

a first trunked network connection, wherein said first trunked network connection is between said first node and said second node, and wherein said first HAnet mechanism is configured to monitor said first trunked network connection, and wherein said first HAnet mechanism is configured to perform a failover from said first trunked network connection to said second trunked network connection in response to detecting a degradation in performance of said first trunked network connection exceeds a threshold, and wherein said first HAnet mechanism is configured to refrain from performing said failover, in response to detecting said degradation does not exceed said threshold.

30. The computer network of claim 29, wherein said first HAnet mechanism is configured to monitor said first trunked network connection by monitoring heartbeats corresponding to said first trunked network connection.

31. The computer network of claim 30, wherein said heartbeat comprises conveying request packets and receiving reply packets via said first trunked network interface.

32. The computer network of claim 29, wherein said first HAnet mechanism is configured to monitor said first trunked network connection by polling status registers corresponding to a multi-port network interface of said first node.

33. The computer network of claim 29, wherein said failover comprises disabling said first trunked network connection and enabling said second trunked network connection.

34. The computer network of claim 29, wherein said failover comprises:

pausing monitoring of said first trunked network connection;

disabling said first trunked network connection;

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

enabling said second trunked network connection; and

resuming monitoring, wherein said second trunked network connection is monitored.

35. The computer network of claim 34, wherein said interface address parameters include an IP address, broadcast address, netmask address and MAC address.

36. The computer network of claim 35, wherein said interface address parameters further include a virtual IP address.

37. The computer network of claim 29, wherein said first trunked network interface and said second trunked network interface comprise Ethernet adapters.

38. The computer network of claim 29, wherein said first trunked network interface and said second trunked network interface comprise Gigabit Ethernet adapters.

39. The computer network of claim 29, wherein said second node includes a second High Availability Networking (HAnet) mechanism, wherein said second HAnet mechanism operates within an Application layer of an architectural model of said computer network, wherein said second HAnet mechanism is configured to monitor said first trunked network connection, and wherein said HAnet mechanism is configured to detect said degradation of said first trunked network connection, and wherein said HAnet mechanism is configured to perform a failover from said first trunked network connection to said second trunked network connection in response to detecting said degradation.