Methods, systems and computer program products for non-disruptively transferring a virtual internet protocol address between communication protocol stacks

• US 6,996,617 B1
• Filed: 08/17/2000
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Herr, David Anthony, Devine, Wesley McMillan, Aiken, John Andrew Jr., McClintock, Mark W., Christensen, Alfred Bundgaard
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hanh
• Application Number:
  US09/640,412
• Time in Patent Office: 2,000 Days
• Field of Search: 370352-356, 370/400, 370/395.2, 370/395.5, 370/395.52, 370/389, 370/342, 370/401, 370465-467, 370/469, 370/475, 709/203, 709/227, 709/230, 709/245, 709/239
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/25 of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/163 In-band adaptation of TCP data exchange; In-band control procedures

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products provide for transferring a virtual Internet Protocol address (VIPA) between communication protocol stacks including at least a first communication protocol stack and a second communication protocol stack. Ownership of the VIPA is established at the second communication protocol stack and connections to the first communication protocol stack utilizing the VIPA are maintained. TCP/IP messages for the connections to the first communication protocol stack are routed through the second communication protocol stack so as to non-disruptively move the VIPA from the first communication protocol stack to the second communication protocol stack.

Claims

1. A method of transferring a virtual Internet Protocol address (VIPA) between communication protocol stacks including at least a first communication protocol stack and a second communication protocol stack, comprising:

establishing ownership of the VIPA at the second communication protocol slack;

maintaining connections using the VIPA to the first communication protocol stack subsequent to ownership of the VIPA being established at the second communication protocol stack;

routing TCP/IP messages for the connections to the first communication protocol stack through the second communication protocol stack to the first communication protocol stack so as to non-disruptively move the VIPA from the first communication protocol stack to the second communication protocol stack; and

establishing new connections to the second communication protocol stack using the VIPA such that connections using the VIPA concurrently exist to the first communication protocol stack and the second communication protocol stack.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of establishing ownership of the VIPA at the second communication protocol stack comprises the step of advertising the VIPA to a routing protocol daemon as owned by the second communication protocol stack so as to cause TCP/IP messages for connections to the VIPA to be routed to the second communication protocol stack.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

establishing ownership of the VIPA at a third communication protocol stack subsequent to ownership of the VIPA being established at the second communication protocol stack;

maintaining connections using the VIPA to the first communication protocol stack and the second communication protocol stack subsequent to ownership of the VIPA being established at the third communication protocol stack; and

routing TCP/IP messages for the connections to the first communication protocol stack and the second communication protocol stack through the third communication protocol stack to a respective one of the first communication protocol stack and the second communication protocol stack so as to non-disruptively move the VIPA from the second communication protocol stack to the third communication protocol stack.

3. A method of transferring a virtual Internet Protocol address (VIPA) between communication protocol stacks including at least a first communication protocol stack and a second communication protocol stack, comprising:

establishing ownership of the VIPA at the second communication protocol stack;

maintaining connections to the first communication protocol stack; and

routing TCP/IP messages for the connections to the first communication protocol stack through the second communication protocol stack so as to non-disruptively move the VIPA from the first communication protocol stack to the second communication protocol stack;

wherein the step of routing the TCP/IP messages for the connections to the first communication protocol stack through the second communication protocol stack comprises the steps of;

receiving a connection administration message from the first communication protocol stack identifying a connection to the first communication protocol stack using the VIPA; and

routing TCP/IP messages for the connection identified in the connection administration message from the second communication protocol stack to the first communication protocol stack.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the step of routing TCP/IP messages comprises the steps of:

creating an entry in a routing table corresponding to the connection identified in the connection administration message and the first communication protocol stack so as to define a routing path for the connection identified in the connection administration message to the first communication protocol stack; and

routing TCP/IP messages for connections using the VIPA based on the routing table.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of establishing the VIPA as a non-routable address associated with the first communication protocol stack.

6. A method of transferring a virtual Internet Protocol address (VIPA) between communication protocol stacks including at least a first communication protocol stack and a second communication protocol stack, comprising:

establishing ownership of the VIPA at the second communication protocol stack;

maintaining connections to the first communication protocol stack;

routing TCP/IP messages for the connections to the first communication protocol stack through the second communication protocol stack so as to non-disruptively move the VIPA from the first communication protocol stack to the second communication protocol stack;

associating, at the first communication protocol stack, the second communication protocol stack with the VIPA so as to send subsequent connection administration messages associated with the VIPA to the second communication protocol stack; and

notifying the second communication protocol stack of the existence of connections to the first communication protocol stack utilizing the VIPA.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of notifying the second communication protocol stack when connections to the first communication protocol stack utilizing the VIPA are terminated.

8. A method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of ceasing to route TCP/IP messages from the second communication protocol stack to the first communication protocol stack for connections which the second communication protocol stack has been notified have terminated.

10. A system of transferring a virtual Internet Protocol address (VIPA) between communication protocol stacks including at least a first communication protocol stack and a second communication protocol stack, comprising:

means for establishing ownership of the VIPA at the second communication protocol stack;

means for maintaining connections using the VIPA to the first communication protocol stack subsequent to ownership of the VIPA being established at the second communication protocol stack;

means for routing TCP/IP messages for the connections to the first communication protocol stack through the second communication protocol stack to the first communication protocol stack so as to non-disruptively move the VIPA from the first communication protocol stack to the second communication protocol stack; and

means for establishing new connections to the second communication protocol stack using the VIPA such that connections using the VIPA concurrently exist to the first communication protocol stack and the second communication protocol stack.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the means for establishing ownership of the VIPA at the second communication protocol stack comprises means for advertising the VIPA to a routing protocol daemon as owned by the second communication protocol stack so as to cause TCP/IP messages for connections to the VIPA to be routed to the second communication protocol stack.

18. A system according to claim 10, further comprising:

means for establishing ownership of the VIPA at a third communication protocol stack subsequent to ownership of the VIPA being established at the second communication protocol stack;

means for maintaining connections using the VIPA to the first communication protocol stack and the second communication protocol stack subsequent to ownership of the VIPA being established at the third communication protocol stack; and

means for routing TCP/IP messages for the connections to the first communication protocol stack and the second communication protocol stack through the third communication protocol stack to a respective one of the first communication protocol stack and the second communication protocol stack so as to non-disruptively move the VIPA from the second communication protocol stack to the third communication protocol stack.

12. A system of transferring a virtual Internet Protocol address (VIPA) between communication protocol stacks including at least a first communication protocol stack and a second communication protocol stack, comprising:

means for establishing ownership of the VIPA at the second communication protocol stack;

means for maintaining connections to the first communication protocol stack; and

means for routing TCP/IP messages for the connections to the first communication protocol stack through the second communication protocol stack so as to non-disruptively move the VIPA from the first communication protocol stack to the second communication protocol stack;

wherein the means for routing the TCP/IP messages for the connections to the first communication protocol stack through the second communication protocol stack comprises;

means for receiving a connection administration message from the first communication protocol stack identifying a connection to the first communication protocol stack using the VIPA; and

means for routing TCP/IP messages for the connection identified in the connection administration message from the second communication protocol stack to the first communication protocol stack.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the means for routing TCP/IP messages comprises:

means for creating an entry in a routing table corresponding to the connection identified in the connection administration message and the first communication protocol stack so as to define a routing path for the connection identified in the connection administration message to the first communication protocol stack; and

means for routing TCP/IP messages for connections using the VIPA based on the routing table.

14. A system according to claim 13, further comprising means for establishing the VIPA as a non-routable address associated with the first communication protocol stack.

15. A system of transferring a virtual Internet Protocol address (VIPA) between communication protocol stacks including at least a first communication protocol stack and a second communication protocol stack, comprising:

means for establishing ownership of the VIPA at the second communication protocol stack;

means for maintaining connections to the first communication protocol stack;

means for routing TCP/IP messages for the connections to the first communication protocol stack through the second communication protocol stack so as to non-disruptively move the VIPA from the first communication protocol stack to the second communication protocol stack;

means for associating, at the first communication protocol stack, the second communication protocol stack with the VIPA so as to send subsequent connection administration messages associated with the VIPA to the second communication protocol stack; and

means for notifying the second communication protocol stack of the existence of connections to the first communication protocol stack utilizing the VIPA.

16. A system according to claim 15, further comprising means for notifying the second communication protocol stack when connections to the first communication protocol stack utilizing the VIPA are terminated.

17. A system according to claim 16, further comprising means for ceasing to route TCP/IP messages from the second communication protocol stack to the first communication protocol stack for connections which the second communication protocol stack has been notified have terminated.

19. A computer program product of transferring a virtual Internet Protocol address (VIPA) between communication protocol stacks including at least a first communication protocol stack and a second communication protocol stack, comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code which establishes ownership of the VIPA at the second communication protocol stack;

computer readable program code which maintains connections using the VIPA to the first communication protocol stack subsequent to ownership of the VIPA being established as the second communication protocol stack;

computer readable program code which routes TCP/IP messages for the connections to the first communication protocol stack through the second communication protocol stack to the first communication protocol stack so as to non-disruptively move the VIPA from the first communication protocol stack to the second communication protocol stack; and

computer readable program code which establishes new connections to the second communication protocol stack using the VIPA such that connections using the VIPA concurrently exist to the first communication protocol stack and the second communication protocol stack.

20. A computer program product according to claim 19, wherein the computer readable program code which establishes ownership of the VIPA at the second communication protocol stack comprises computer readable program code which advertises the VIPA to a routing protocol daemon as owned by the second communication protocol stack so as to cause TCP/IP messages for connections to the VIPA to be routed to the second communication protocol stack.

27. A computer program product according to claim 19, further comprising:

computer readable program code which establishes ownership of the VIPA at a third communication protocol stack subsequent to ownership of the VIPA being established as the second communication protocol stack;

computer readable program code which maintains connections using the VIPA to the first communication protocol stack and the second communication protocol stack subsequent to ownership of the VIPA being established as the third communication protocol stack; and

computer readable program code which routes TCP/IP messages for the connections to the first communication protocol stack and the second communication protocol stack through the third communication protocol stack to a respective one of the first communication protocol stack and the second communication protocol stack so as to non-disruptively move the VIPA from the second communication protocol stack to the third communication protocol stack.

21. A computer program product of transferring a virtual Internet Protocol address (VIPA) between communication protocol stacks including at least a first communication protocol stack and a second communication protocol stack, comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code which establishes ownership of the VIPA at the second communication protocol stack;

computer readable program code which maintains connections to the first communication protocol stack; and

computer readable program code which routes TCP/IP messages for the connections to the first communication protocol stack through the second communication protocol stack so as to non-disruptively move the VIPA from the first communication protocol stack to the second communication protocol stack;

wherein the computer readable program code which routes the TCP/IP messages for the connections to the first communication protocol stack through the second communication protocol stack comprises;

computer readable program code which receives a connection administration message from the first communication protocol stack identifying a connection to the first communication protocol stack using the VIPA; and

computer readable program code which routes TCP/IP messages for the connection identified in the connection administration message from the second communication protocol stack to the first communication protocol stack.

22. A computer program product according to claim 21, wherein the computer readable program code which routes TCP/IP messages comprises:

computer readable program code which creates an entry in a routing table corresponding to the connection identified in the connection administration message and the first communication protocol stack so as to define a routing path for the connection identified in the connection administration message to the first communication protocol stack; and

computer readable program code which routes TCP/IP messages for connections using the VIPA based on the routing table.

23. A computer program product according to claim 22, further comprising computer readable program code which establishes the VIPA as a non-routable address associated with the first communication protocol stack.

24. A computer program product of transferring a virtual Internet Protocol address (VIPA) between communication protocol stacks including at least a first communication protocol stack and a second communication protocol stack, comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code which establishes ownership of the VIPA at the second communication protocol stack;

computer readable program code which maintains connections to the first communication protocol stack;

computer readable program code which routes TCP/IP messages for the connections to the first communication protocol stack through the second communication protocol stack so as to non-disruptively move the VIPA from the first communication protocol stack to the second communication protocol stack;

computer readable program code which associates, at the first communication protocol stack, the second communication protocol stack with the VIPA so as to send subsequent connection administration messages associated with the VIPA to the second communication protocol stack; and

computer readable program code which notifies the second communication protocol stack of the existence of connections to the first communication protocol stack utilizing the VIPA.

25. A computer program product according to claim 24, further comprising computer readable program code which notifies the second communication protocol stack when connections to the first communication protocol stack utilizing the VIPA are terminated.

26. A computer program product according to claim 25, further comprising computer readable program code which ceases to route TCP/IP messages from the second communication protocol stack to the first communication protocol stack for connections which the second communication protocol stack has been notified have terminated.