Method and system for minimal disruption during software upgrade or reload of a network device
First Claim
1. A method of resetting an electronic device comprising:
- separating software operations associated with layer two of an International Standardization Organization Open Systems Interconnect (ISO/OSI) reference model from other layers in said ISO/OSI reference model, wherein said electronic device is configured to implement said software operations, and wherein a copy of said software operations is stored locally on said electronic device;
resetting said software operations in said layer two of said electronic device using said copy of said software operations, wherein a layer two functionality associated with said software operations is temporarily unavailable during said software reset;
maintaining continuity for a communication session between said electronic device and other electronic devices coupled together through a network during said software reset; and
recovering execution of said layer two functionality associated with said software operations before said continuity of said communication session is terminated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for resetting a network device. Specifically, in one embodiment, a method is disclosed for upgrading and/or reloading software for a network device with minimal disruption. The method begins by separating operations associated with layer two of an International Standardization Organization Open Systems Interconnect (ISO/OSI) reference model from other layers in the ISO/OSI reference model in a network device. Then, the software operations in layer two of the network device are reset. The software operations are reset while maintaining continuity for a communication session between the network device and other network devices coupled together through a network. Thereafter, for minimal disruption, execution of the software operations is recovered at layer two before continuity of the communication session s terminated.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method of resetting an electronic device comprising:
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separating software operations associated with layer two of an International Standardization Organization Open Systems Interconnect (ISO/OSI) reference model from other layers in said ISO/OSI reference model, wherein said electronic device is configured to implement said software operations, and wherein a copy of said software operations is stored locally on said electronic device; resetting said software operations in said layer two of said electronic device using said copy of said software operations, wherein a layer two functionality associated with said software operations is temporarily unavailable during said software reset; maintaining continuity for a communication session between said electronic device and other electronic devices coupled together through a network during said software reset; and recovering execution of said layer two functionality associated with said software operations before said continuity of said communication session is terminated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method comprising:
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initiating a communication between an electronic device and one or more devices in a network, wherein a data plane and a control plane in said electronic device are separated, wherein said data plane and said control plane are configured to control said communication between said electronic device and said one or more devices in said network, and wherein said data plane is associated with layer two of an International Standardization Organization Open Systems Interconnect (ISO/OSI) reference model; loading a bootstrap code to said electronic device, wherein said bootstrap code is configured to load software operations for said electronic device; loading said software operations in said data plane, wherein data plane functionality is temporarily disabled during said loading of said software operations; maintaining continuity in said communication at layer one of said ISO/OSI reference model during said loading of said software operations, wherein said data plane is separated from said layer one of said electronic device; maintaining continuity in said communication at layers above said layer two during said loading of said software operations; and recovering execution of said data plane functionality before said continuity, in said communication is terminated at said control plane. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system comprising:
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means for separating software operations associated with layer two of an International Standardization Organization Open Systems Interconnect (ISO/OSI) reference model from other layers in said ISO/OSI reference model, wherein an electronic device is configured to implement said software operations; means for storing layer two information associated with usage of said software operations; means for loading said software operations in said layer two of said electronic device, wherein said layer two is temporarily disabled during said loading of said software operations; means for maintaining continuity for a communication session between said electronic device and other electronic devices coupled together through a network while said layer two is temporarily disabled; means for restoring said layer two information associated with said usage of said software operations; and means for recovering execution of said software operations at said layer two before said continuity of said communication session is terminated. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, if executed by a system, cause said system to perform operations comprising:
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separating software operations associated with layer two of an International Standardization Organization Open Systems Interconnect (ISO/OSI) reference model from other layers in said ISO/OSI reference model, wherein an electronic device is configured to implement said software operations; loading said software operations in said layer two of said electronic device, wherein a layer two functionality associated with said software operations is temporarily unavailable during said loading of said software operations; maintaining continuity for a communication session between said electronic device and other electronic devices coupled together through a network while said layer two functionality is unavailable; and recovering execution of said software operations at said layer two before said continuity of said communication session is terminated. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A system for resetting an electronic device comprising:
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means for separating software operations associated with layer two of an International Standardization Organization Open Systems Interconnect (ISO/OSI) reference model from other layers in said ISO/OSI reference model, said electronic device implementing said software operations; means for resetting said software operations in said layer two of said electronic device, wherein said layer two is temporarily disabled during said resetting of said software operations; means for maintaining continuity for a communication session between said electronic device and other electronic devices coupled together through a network; means for recovering execution of said software operations at said layer two before said continuity of said communication session is terminated; and means for performing a minimal reset of hardware components associated with said layer two such that interruptions to an operating system of said electronic device are minimized, wherein at least one of said hardware components comprises a line card. - View Dependent Claims (43)
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Specification