Flexible scheduling of network devices within redundant aggregate configurations
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A network system for providing a network service, comprising:
- a standby group of ATM network devices within an ATM network, each ATM network device within the standby group having its own ATM address and sharing a non-ATM network address with other members of the standby group; and
a server which is configured todetermine that a first member of the standby group of network devices is not available to provide the network service;
identify a second member of the standby group of network devices to provide the network service; and
promote the second member of the standby group of network devices to active status from standby status such that the second member provides the network service by handling packets destined for the shared non-ATM network address,wherein the determination by the server is performed based on at least one of (i) detecting that the first member has not opened a virtual circuit within a predetermined period, or (ii) detecting that the first member has not sent a KEEP ALIVE message within a predetermined period, andwherein the server is an ATM server in the ATM network, and wherein the server is not one of the ATM network devices in the standby group of ATM network devices.
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Abstract
A protocol is provided for backing up ATM network devices should they fail. The protocol is implemented in a system running ATMARP and supporting IP over ATM. In the protocol, multiple ATM network devices are combined in a “standby group” and share a common IP address. When an active member of the standby group fails, one of the other members of the standby group takes over ATM responsibility for the functions of the failed device. An ATMARP Server determines which member of a standby group should handle IP packets destined for that group.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. A network system for providing a network service, comprising:
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a standby group of ATM network devices within an ATM network, each ATM network device within the standby group having its own ATM address and sharing a non-ATM network address with other members of the standby group; and a server which is configured to determine that a first member of the standby group of network devices is not available to provide the network service; identify a second member of the standby group of network devices to provide the network service; and promote the second member of the standby group of network devices to active status from standby status such that the second member provides the network service by handling packets destined for the shared non-ATM network address, wherein the determination by the server is performed based on at least one of (i) detecting that the first member has not opened a virtual circuit within a predetermined period, or (ii) detecting that the first member has not sent a KEEP ALIVE message within a predetermined period, and wherein the server is an ATM server in the ATM network, and wherein the server is not one of the ATM network devices in the standby group of ATM network devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A network system for providing a network service using a first network device, comprising:
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a standby group of ATM network devices within an ATM network, each ATM network device within the standby group having its own ATM address and sharing a non-ATM network address with other members of the standby group; and a server which is configured to determine that the first network device is available by at least one of (i) detecting that the first network device has opened a virtual circuit within a predetermined period, or (ii) detecting that the first network device has sent a KEEP ALIVE message within a predetermined period; send a notification identifying the first network device by ATM address and the shared non-ATM network address, thereby enabling the server to select the first network device to handle packets addressed to the non-ATM network address that is shared with other members of the standby group; and receive one or more packets destined for the shared non-ATM network address, wherein the server is an ATM server in the ATM network, and wherein the notification also specifies a priority of the first network device in the standby group. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An ATM network comprising:
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a network device in the ATM network having at least one ATM network address; and a server which is configured to assign the network device to a first group of network devices having a first non-ATM network address; and promote the network device from a standby status to an active status in which the network device services the non-ATM network address associated with the first group of network devices, wherein the server is configured to promote the network device in response to at least one of (i) detecting that another network device in the first group of network devices has not opened a virtual circuit within a predetermined period, or (ii) detecting that another network device in the first group of network devices has not sent a KEEP ALIVE message within a predetermined period, and wherein the server is an ATM server in an ATM network, and wherein the server is not one of the network devices in the first group of network devices. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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29. An ATM network comprising:
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a network device in the ATM network, the network device having at least one ATM network address; and a server which is configured to assign the network device to a group of network devices having a shared non-ATM network address; determine whether the network device is not available by at least one of (i) determining whether the network device has not opened a virtual circuit within a predetermined period, or (ii) determining whether the network device has not sent a KEEP ALIVE message within a predetermined period; and if the network device is not available, change the network device from an active status in which the network device services the non-ATM network address to a standby status in which the network device does not service the non-ATM network address, wherein the server is an ATM server in an ATM network, and wherein the server is not one of the network devices in the group of network devices. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. An ATM network comprising:
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a plurality of network devices, and a server including; one or more processors; a memory; and at least one interface for establishing a connection between the server and a network device of the plurality of network devices, wherein the server is configured to provide a collection of entries wherein each entry in the collection of entries corresponds to a network device of the plurality of network devices, wherein one or more of the entries includes the corresponding network device'"'"'s ATM address, a shared non-ATM address used by the corresponding network device and one or more others of the plurality of network devices, and a value used in determining whether the network device corresponding to the entry is currently acting as the device having the non-ATM address, wherein the server is configured to adjust the value when it is determined that the network device currently acting as the device having the non-ATM address is no longer available as determined by at least one of (i) detecting that the network device has not opened a virtual circuit within a predetermined period, or (ii) detecting that the network device has not sent a KEEP ALIVE message within a predetermined period, wherein the server is an ATM server in an ATM network, and wherein the server is not one of the plurality of network devices. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. An ATM network comprising:
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a plurality of network devices; a server; and a network device including one or more processors; at least one interface for establishing a connection between the network device and a second network device; an ATM address; and a non-ATM address shared by at least one other network device in the plurality of network devices of the ATM network, wherein the one or more processors is configured to perform at least one of the following functions;
(i) to open a virtual circuit within a predetermined period, or (ii) to send a KEEP ALIVE message within a predetermined period, andwherein the server is an ATM server in the ATM network, and wherein the server is not one of the plurality of network devices; wherein the server is configured to modify a status of the network device from an active status in which the network device services the non-ATM network address to a standby status in which the network device does not service the non-ATM network address. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A network system for providing a network service, comprising:
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a plurality of means within an ATM network, each means within a standby group having its own ATM address and sharing a non-ATM network address with other members of the standby group; means for determining that a first member of the standby group of network devices is not available to provide the network service; and means for identifying by a server that is not a member of the standby group of network devices a second member of the standby group of network devices to provide the network service; and means for promoting by the server the second member of the standby group from standby status to active status such that the second member of the standby group provides the network service by handling packets destined for the shared non-ATM network address, wherein determining that the first member of the standby group of network devices is not available comprises at least one of (i) detecting that the first member has not opened a virtual circuit within a predetermined period, or (ii) detecting that the first member has not sent a KEEP ALIVE message within a predetermined period, and wherein the server is an ATM server in the ATM network, and wherein the server is not one of the network devices in the standby group of network devices. - View Dependent Claims (52)
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Specification