Network router having an internal automated backup

• US 7,028,224 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2002
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mitchell, Arthur Devon
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DIEU MINH T
• Application Number:
  US10/042,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20030131287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: 714/43, 714/4, 714 10- 13, 714/56, 709/239, 370/248, 370/250, 370/251, 370/255, 370/355, 370/556, 370/357, 370/360, 370/351, 370/362, 370216-228, 340/825.01, 340/2.24
• US Class Current: 714/43
• 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 45/58 Association of routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/586 of virtual routers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/60 Router architectures
• 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 network router having an internal automated backup is provided. Specifically, the present invention provides a network router having at least one primary port facility, a switched fabric, and a backup card array. When a router card connected to a primary port facility fails, a failure message is automatically sent to the switched fabric. The switched fabric then disconnects the failed card from the primary port facility and places it in an extended bay. Thereafter, the switched fabric connects a backup router card from the backup card array to the primary port facility. In addition, the primary port facilities under the present invention can include a primary and a secondary processor for more reliable communication.

Claims

1. A network router having an internal automated backup, comprising:

a primary port facility;

a card array having at least one unutilized backup router card; and

a switched fabric, wherein the switched fabric automatically replaces a failed router card connected to the primary port facility with an unutilized backup router card from the card arrays, wherein the switched fabric comprises an information system for receiving a failure message from the primary port facility, and a switching system for physically replacing the failed router card with the backup router card in response to the failure message, wherein the switching system includes a replacement mechanism for physically replacing the failed router card with the backup router card, wherein the replacement mechanism physically disconnects the failed router card from the primary port facility, physically moves the failed router card to an expanded bay, physically disconnects the unutilized backup router card from the card array, physically moves the unutilized backup router card from the card array to the primary port facility from which the failed router card was moved, and physically connects the unutilized backup router card to the primary port facility from which the failed router card was moved.

2. The router of claim 1, wherein the primary port facility comprises a primary processor and a secondary processor.

3. The router of claim 1, wherein the primary port facility has serial connection ports for connecting to router cards.

4. The router of claim 1, wherein the information system includes a bus for communicating routing information between the primary port facility and the card array.

5. The router of claim 1, wherein the failed router card is physically moved into an expanded bay by the switched fabric.

6. A network router having an internal automated backup, comprising:

a primary port facility;

a card array having at least one unutilized backup router card; and

a switched fabric for automatically replacing a failed router card connected to the primary port facility with an unutiized backup router card from the card array, wherein the switched fabric includes an information system for receiving a failure message from the primary port facility and a switching system for replacing the failed router card with the unutiized backup router card, wherein the switching system includes a replacement mechanism for physically replacing the failed router card with the backup router card, wherein the replacement mechanism physically disconnects the failed router card from the primary port facility, physically moves the failed router card to an expanded bay, physically disconnects the unutilized backup router card from the card array, physically moves the unutilized backup router card from the card array to the primary port facility from which the failed router card was moved, and physically connects the unutilized backup router card to the primary port facility from which the failed router card was moved.

7. The router of claim 6, wherein the primary port facility includes a primary processor and a secondary processor.

8. The router of claim 6, wherein the switching system includes a replacement mechanism for physically replacing the failed router card with the backup router card.

9. The router of claim 6, wherein the information system includes a bus for communicating routing information between the primary port facility and the card array.

10. The router of claim 6, wherein router cards connect to the primary port facility and the card array via male-female connections.

11. The router of claim 6, wherein the failed router card is physically moved into an expanded bay by the switched fabric.

12. A network router having an internal automated backup, comprising:

a primary port facility having a primary processor and a secondary processor;

a card array having unutilized backup router cards; and

a switched fabric for automatically replacing a failed router card connected to the primary port facility with an unutilized backup router card from the card array, wherein the switched fabric includes an information system for receiving a failure message from the primary port facility and a switching system for physically replacing the failed router card with the unutilized backup router card, wherein the switching system comprises a replacement mechanism that physically connects and disconnects router cards from the primary port facility and the card array, wherein the replacement mechanism physically disconnects the failed router card from the primary port facility, physically moves the failed router card to an expanded bay, physically disconnects the unutilized backup router card from the card array, physically moves the unutilized backup router card from the card array to the primary port facility from which the failed router card was moved, and physically connects the unutilized backup router card to the primary port facility from which the failed router card was moved.

13. The router of claim 12, wherein the router cards connect to the primary port facility and the card array via male-female connections.

14. The router of claim 12, wherein the information system includes a bus that communicates routing information between the primary port facility to the card array.

15. The router of claim 12, wherein the failed router card is physically moved into an expanded bay by the switched fabric.