System and method for providing communications in a network using a redundant switching architecture
First Claim
1. A system for receiving information in a network using a redundant switching architecture, comprising:
- a first control element for executing a protocol stack having an internetwork layer;
a first device driver associated with said first control element, said first device driver for receiving a first instance of a communications frame from a second control element via a first switching plane and for decapsulating the first instance of the communications frame;
a second device driver associated with said first control element, said second device driver for receiving a second instance of said communications frame from said second control element via a second switching plane and for decapsulating the second instance of the communications frame; and
a virtual device driver associated with said first control element, said virtual device driver being positioned in communication with said internetwork layer, first device driver, and second device driver,wherein said virtual device driver operates to map one of said first and second instances of said communications frame received from said second control element to said internetwork layer and to retain one of said communications frame instances received via said first switching plane and said second switching plane based on an indicator in at least one of said decapsulated communications frame instances.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for sending and receiving information in a network using a redundant switching architecture. In one embodiment, the method includes generating a communications frame including a first header at a first control element. The first header is mapped to a second header and then the communications frame is encapsulated with a set of two redundant destination addresses whereby two instances of the communications frame are created. The communications frame instances, including the second header and the redundant destination addresses, are sent from the first control element via both a first switching plane and a second switching plane to a second control element. Upon receipt, only one of the communications frame instances is retained by the second control element for upstream processing.
25 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A system for receiving information in a network using a redundant switching architecture, comprising:
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a first control element for executing a protocol stack having an internetwork layer; a first device driver associated with said first control element, said first device driver for receiving a first instance of a communications frame from a second control element via a first switching plane and for decapsulating the first instance of the communications frame; a second device driver associated with said first control element, said second device driver for receiving a second instance of said communications frame from said second control element via a second switching plane and for decapsulating the second instance of the communications frame; and a virtual device driver associated with said first control element, said virtual device driver being positioned in communication with said internetwork layer, first device driver, and second device driver, wherein said virtual device driver operates to map one of said first and second instances of said communications frame received from said second control element to said internetwork layer and to retain one of said communications frame instances received via said first switching plane and said second switching plane based on an indicator in at least one of said decapsulated communications frame instances. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A communications method in a network using a redundant switching architecture, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating a communications frame including a first header at a first control element; mapping said first header to a second header and encapsulating said communications frame with a set of two redundant destination addresses, whereby two instances of said communications frame are created; transmitting said communications frame instances including said second header and said redundant destination addresses from said first control element via both a first switching plane and a second switching plane; receiving said communications frame instances at a second control element via both said first switching plane and said second switching plane; and retaining one of said communications frame instances received via said first switching plane and second switching plane, wherein the step of retaining one of said communications frame instances includes the step of decapsulating said communications frame instances. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A communications system in a network using a redundant switching architecture, the system comprising:
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means for generating a communications frame including a first header at a first control element; means for mapping said first header to a second header and encapsulating said communications frame with a set of two redundant destination addresses, whereby two instances of said communications frame are created; means for transmitting said communications frame instances including said second header and said redundant destination addresses from said first control element via both a first switching plane and a second switching plane; means for receiving said communications frame instances at a second control element via both said first switching plane and said second switching plane; and means for retaining one of said communications frame instances received via said first switching plane and second switching plane, wherein said means for retaining one of said communications frame instances includes further comprises means for decapsulating said communications frame instances. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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Specification