Network router failover mechanism

• US 7,194,653 B1
• Filed: 11/04/2002
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bakke, Mark A., De Groote, Stephen P., Hadders, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman; Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): CONTINO, PAUL F
• Application Number:
  US10/287,386
• Time in Patent Office: 1,597 Days
• Field of Search: 714/4, 709/239, 398/19, 370/219
• US Class Current: 714/4.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/58 Association of routers

Abstract

A method, system, apparatus, and signal-bearing media for determining connectivity information for routers running on servers that are attached to a device. A router is resigned in favor of a corresponding router at another server when the corresponding router has better connectivity to the device, where partial connectivity is better than no connectivity, and full connectivity is better than partial connectivity.

Claims

1. A method of transferring data between a host and a device, the method comprising:

connecting a first server to the host across a network and to the device across a first channel fabric;

connecting a second server to the host across the network and to the device across a second channel fabric;

communicatively coupling the first server with the second server;

establishing multiple instances of a router on each server;

designating the at least one of the routers on the first server as running and at least one of the corresponding routers on the second server as ghost;

determining first connectivity information regarding connectivity across the first channel fabric between the device and the running router;

receiving second connectivity information describing connectivity across the second channel fabric between the device and the ghost router;

comparing at both the first and second server the first and second connectivity information; and

resigning the running router operating on the first server in favor of the ghost router operating on the second server when the comparison indicates that the ghost router has better connectivity, wherein resigning includes designating the router operating on the second server as running and the router operating on the first server as ghost.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second connectivity information indicates a better connection to the device than the first connectivity information when the second connectivity information indicates the partial connection to the device and the first connectivity information indicates no connection to the device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second connectivity information indicates a better connection to the device than the first connectivity information when the second connectivity information indicates a full connection to the device and the first connectivity information indicates the partial connection to the device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining that the running router has a full connection when the running router has unsaved configuration changes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining that the running router has no connection when a network interface is disconnected for a period of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining that the running router has no connection when no targets and logical units associated with the running router are connected.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining that the running router has a full connection when all targets and logical units associated with the running router are connected.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining that the running router has the partial connection when less than all targets and logical units associated with the running router are connected.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining that the running router has a full connection before the running router has discovered the device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the connectivity information includes:

connecting the first server to the second server via a management connection and a high-availability connection; and

transferring the connectivity information alternatively across the management connection and a high-availability connection.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining connectivity information includes establishing a high-availability process, wherein the high-availability process, when running, determines connectivity to its associated targets, LUNs and network connections.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the ghost router and running router monitor connectivity to a set of resources, wherein the set of resources is the same set of resources for each router.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the set of resources includes targets, LUNs (Logical Unit Numbers), and network connections.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the routers is designated as primary;

and

wherein, if the primary router is the ghost router and the comparison determines that the ghost router has connectivity at least equal to the running router, then the running router will resign promoting the ghost router to the running router.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a network connection for receiving data from a host to be transferred to a device;

a channel fabric connection;

establishing multiple instances of a router on a first and second server;

at least one running router operating on the first server;

at least one ghost router corresponding to the running router operating on the second server;

means for determining first connectivity information describing connectivity to the device across the channel fabric connection for the running router;

means for receiving second connectivity information describing connectivity to the device across a second channel fabric connection for the ghost;

means for communicatively coupling the first server and the second server;

means for comparing at both the first and second server the first and second connectivity information; and

means for resigning the running router in favor of the ghost router when the comparison indicates that the ghost router has better connectivity, wherein resigning includes designating the router operating on the second server as running and the router operating on the first server as ghost.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second connectivity information indicates a better connection to the device than the first connectivity information when the second connectivity information indicates the partial connection to the device and the first connectivity information indicates no connection to the device.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second connectivity information indicates a better connection to the device than the first connectivity information when the second connectivity information indicates a full connection to the device and the first connectivity information indicates the partial connection to the device.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for determining further comprises:

means for determining that the running router has a full connection when the running router has unsaved configuration changes.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for determining further comprises:

means for determining that the running router has no connection when a network interface is disconnected for a period of time.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for determining further comprises:

means for determining that the running router has no connection when no targets and logical units associated with the running router are connected.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for determining further comprises:

means for determining that the running router has a full connection when all targets and logical units associated with the running router are connected.

22. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for determining further comprises:

means for determining that the running router has the partial connection when less than all targets and logical units associated with the running router are connected.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for determining further comprises:

means for determining that the running router has a full connection before the running router has discovered the device.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for sending the connectivity information to the second server includes:

means for connecting the first server to the second server via a management connection and a high-availability connection; and

means for transferring the connectivity information alternatively across the management connection and a high-availability connection.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the means for determining connectivity information includes means for establishing a high-availability process, wherein the high-availability process, when running, determines connectivity to its associated targets, LUNs and network connections.

26. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the ghost router and running router monitor connectivity to a set of resources, wherein the set of resources is the same set of resources for each router.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the set of resources includes targets, LUNs (Logical Unit Numbers), and network connections.

28. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein one of the routers is designated as primary;

and

wherein, if the primary router is the ghost router and the comparison determines that the ghost router has connectivity at least equal to the running router, then the running router will resign promoting the ghost router to the running router.

29. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions, wherein the instructions when executed comprise:

connecting a first server to a host across a network and to a device across a first channel fabric;

connecting a second server to the host across the network and to the device across a second channel fabric;

connecting the first server with the second server;

establishing multiple instances of a router on each server;

designating at least one of the routers on the first server as running and at least one of the routers on the second server as ghost;

determining first connectivity information regarding connectivity across the first channel fabric between the device and the running router;

receiving second connectivity information describing connectivity across the second channel fabric between the device and the ghost router;

comparing at both the first and second server the first and second connectivity information; and

resigning the running router in favor of the ghost router when the comparison indicates that the ghost router has better connectivity, wherein resigning includes designating the router operating on the second server as running and the router operating on the first server as ghost.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the second connectivity information indicates a better connection to the device than the first connectivity information when the second connectivity information indicates the partial connection to the device and the first connectivity information indicates no connection to the device.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the second connectivity information indicates a better connection to the device than the first connectivity information when the second connectivity information indicates a full connection to the device and the first connectivity information indicates the partial connection to the device.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining that the running router has a full connection when the running router has unsaved configuration changes.

33. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining that the running router has no connection when a network interface is disconnected for a period of time.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining that the running router has no connection when no targets and logical units associated with the running router are connected.

35. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining that the running router has a full connection when all targets and logical units associated with the running router are connected.

36. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining that the running router has the partial connection when less than all targets and logical units associated with the running router are connected.

37. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining that the running router has a full connection before the running router has discovered the device.

38. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the ghost router and running router monitor connectivity to a set of resources, wherein the set of resources is the same set of resources for each router.

39. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 38, wherein the set of resources includes targets, LUNs (Logical Unit Numbers), and network connections.

40. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein one of the routers is designated as primary;

and

wherein, if the primary router is the ghost router and the comparison determines that the ghost router has connectivity at least equal to the running router, then the running router will resign promoting the ghost router to the running router.

41. A server comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device encoded with instructions, wherein the instructions when executed on the processor comprise;

connecting a first server to a host across a network and to a device across a first channel fabric;

connecting a second server to the host across the network and to the device across a second channel fabric;

connecting the first server with the second server;

establishing multiple instances of a router on each server;

designating at least one of the routers on the first server as running and at least one of the routers on the second server as ghost;

determining first connectivity information regarding connectivity across the first channel fabric between the device and the running router;

receiving second connectivity information describing connectivity across the second channel fabric between the device and the ghost router;

comparing at both the first and second server the first and second connectivity information; and

resigning the running router operating on the first server in favor of the ghost router operating on the second server when the comparison indicates that the ghost router has better connectivity, wherein resigning includes designating the router operating on the second server as running and the router operating on the first server as ghost.

42. The server of claim 41, wherein the second connectivity information indicates a better connection to the device than the first connectivity information when the second connectivity information indicates the partial connection to the device and the first connectivity information indicates no connection to the device.

43. The server of claim 41, wherein the second connectivity information indicates a better connection to the device than the first connectivity information when the second connectivity information indicates a full connection to the device and the first connectivity information indicates the partial connection to the device.

44. The server of claim 41, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining that the running router has a full connection when the running router has unsaved configuration changes.

45. The server of claim 41, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining that the running router has no connection when a network interface is disconnected for a period of time.

46. The server of claim 41, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining that the running router has no connection when no targets and logical units associated with the running router are connected.

47. The server of claim 41, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining that the running router has a full connection when all targets and logical units associated with the running router are connected.

48. The server of claim 41, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining that the running router has the partial connection when less than all targets and logical units associated with the running router are connected.

49. The server of claim 41, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining that the running router has a full connection before the running router has discovered the device.

50. The server of claim 44, wherein sending the connectivity information includes:

connecting the first server to the second server via a management connection and a high-availability connection; and

transferring the connectivity information alternatively across the management connection and a high-availability connection.

51. The server of claim 41, wherein determining connectivity information includes establishing a high-availability process, wherein the high-availability process, when running, determines connectivity to its associated targets, LUNs and network connections.

52. The server of claim 41, wherein the ghost router and running router monitor connectivity to a set of resources, wherein the set of resources is the same set of resources for each router.

53. The server of claim 52, wherein the set of resources includes targets, LUNs (Logical Unit Numbers), and network connections.

54. The server of claim 41, wherein one of the routers is designated as primary;

and

wherein, if the primary router is the ghost router and the comparison determines that the ghost router has connectivity at least equal to the running router, then the running router will resign promoting the ghost router to the running router.

55. A method of transferring data between a host and a device, the method comprising:

connecting a first server to the host across a network and to the device across a first channel fabric;

connecting a second server to the host across the network and to the device across a second channel fabric;

communicatively coupling the first server with the second server;

establishing multiple instances of a router on each server;

designating at least one of the routers on the first server as running and at least one of the routers on the second server as ghost;

determining first connectivity information regarding connectivity across the first channel fabric between the device and the running router;

receiving second connectivity information describing connectivity across the second channel fabric between the device and the ghost router;

comparing at both the first and second server the first and second the first and second; and

resigning the running router in favor of the ghost router when the comparison indicates that the ghost router has at least equal connectivity and the ghost router is primary, wherein resigning includes designating the router operating on the second server as running and the router operating on the first server as ghost.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining that the running router has a full connection when the first router has unsaved configuration changes.

57. The method of claim 55, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining that the running router has a full connection when all targets and logical units associated with the running router are connected.

58. The method of claim 55, wherein the determining further comprises:

determining that the running router has a full connection before the first router has discovered the device.

59. The method of claim 55, wherein sending the connectivity information includes:

connecting the first server to the second server via a management connection and a high-availability connection; and

transferring the connectivity information alternatively across the management connection and a high-availability connection.

60. The method of claim 55, wherein determining connectivity information includes establishing a high-availability process, wherein the high-availability process, when running, determines connectivity to its associated targets, LUNs and network connections.

61. The method of claim 55, wherein the ghost router and running router monitor connectivity to a set of resources, wherein the set of resources is the same set of resources for each router.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the set of resources included targets, LUNs (Logical Unit Numbers), and network connections.