Failover in a host concurrently supporting multiple virtual IP addresses across multiple adapters

• US 7,913,106 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2007
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lepakshaiah, Mallesh, Murray, Elizabeth J., Venkatsubra, Venkat, Jain, Vinit
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel; Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Riad; Amine
• Application Number:
  US11/958,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20090158082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 714/4, 709223-226
• US Class Current: 714/4.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• 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 host enables any adapter of multiple adapters of the host to concurrently support any VIPA of the multiple VIPAs assigned to the host. Responsive to a failure of at least one particular adapter from among the multiple adapters, the host triggers the remaining, functioning adapters to broadcast a separate hardware address update for each VIPA over the network, such that for a failover in the host supporting the multiple VIPAs the host directs at least one other host accessible via the network to address any new packets for the multiple VIPAs to one of the separate hardware addresses of one of the remaining adapters.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing failover in a host supporting a plurality of virtual IP addresses on a network, comprising:

assigning a plurality of adapters to the host;

assigning a plurality of virtual internet protocol (IP) addresses to the host;

configuring each adapter of the plurality of adapters of the host to concurrently support each virtual IP address of the plurality of virtual IP addresses assigned to the host by configuring a transport layer of a network stack on the host to compare an IP address specified in an ARP request received at the host with a list of the plurality of virtual IP addresses and by assigning a separate MAC hardware address to each of the plurality of adapters in an adapter layer of the network stack;

responsive to the host receiving an ARP request from at least one requesting host for a particular IP address, comparing the particular IP address at the transport layer with the list of the plurality of virtual IP addresses;

responsive to the particular virtual IP address matching a selected virtual IP address within the plurality of virtual IP addresses, triggering, from the transport layer, each of the plurality of adapters in the adapter layer to send an ARP response to the at least one requesting host with each separate MAC hardware address of each separate adapter for the particular virtual IP address, wherein each at least one requesting host stores one of the plurality of ARP responses from the plurality of adapters;

responsive to detecting a failure of at least one particular adapter from among the plurality of adapters in the adapter layer, triggering, from the transport layer, each remaining adapter from among the plurality of adapters in the adapter layer to broadcast a separate ARP hardware address update for each virtual IP address of the plurality of virtual IP addresses over the network with each separate MAC address for each remaining adapter, such that for a failover in the host supporting the plurality of virtual IP addresses the host directs at least one other host accessible via the network to address any new packets for the plurality of virtual IP addresses to one of the separate hardware addresses of one of the remaining adapters; and

responsive to the at least one requesting host receiving the plurality of updates, redirecting by the at least one requesting host a bound connection to one of the plurality of virtual IP addresses to a particular one of the separate MAC addresses of one of the remaining adapters.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

configuring the host and the at least one requesting host within a subnetwork to communicate via a local area network, wherein the at least one requesting host comprises at least one gateway and at least one other host, wherein the gateway communicates with a plurality of systems outside the subnetwork;

monitoring, by the host, whether the gateway is functioning by a dead gateway detection controller, wherein each adapter of the plurality of adapters is communicatively connected to the gateway through a separate switch from among a plurality of switches providing a plurality of paths to the gateway over the local area network;

periodically sending, by the dead gateway detection controller on the host, a ping to the at least one requesting host comprising the gateway via any of the plurality of adapters to determine if the gateway is functioning if the gateway returns a response to the ping, wherein the gateway stores one of the plurality of ARP responses from the plurality of adapters as the address for response to the ping; and

responsive to the gateway receiving the separate ARP hardware address update for each virtual IP address, updating by the gateway the address for response to the ping to the particular one of the separate MAC addresses of one of the remaining adapters.

3. A system for managing failover, comprising:

a host assigned a plurality of adapters and a plurality of virtual internet protocol (IP) addresses;

the host comprising a network stack configured for each adapter of the plurality of adapters at an adapter layer of the network stack of the host to concurrently support each virtual IP address of a plurality of virtual IP addresses assigned to the host by configuring a transport layer of the network stack on the host to compare an IP address specified in an ARP request received at the host with a list of the plurality of virtual IP addresses and by assigning a separate MAC hardware address to each of the plurality of adapters in an adapter layer of the network stack;

the host communicatively connected over a network to at least one requesting host; and

the transport layer, responsive to the host receiving an ARP request from at least one requesting host for a particular IP address, for comparing the particular IP address at the transport layer with the list of the plurality of virtual IP addresses;

the transport layer, responsive to the particular virtual IP address matching a selected virtual IP address within the plurality of virtual IP addresses, for triggering each of the plurality of adapters in the adapter layer to send an ARP response to the at least one requesting host with each separate MAC hardware address of each separate adapter for the particular virtual IP address, wherein each at least one requesting host stores one of the plurality of ARP responses from the plurality of adapters;

the transport layer, responsive to detecting a failure of at least one particular adapter from among the plurality of adapters, for triggering each remaining adapter from among the plurality of adapters in the adapter layer to broadcast a separate ARP hardware address update for each virtual IP address of the plurality of virtual IP addresses over the network with each separate MAC address for each remaining adapter wherein for a failover in the host supporting the plurality of virtual IP addresses the host directs at least one other host accessible via the network to address any new packets for the plurality of virtual IP addresses to one of the separate hardware addresses of one of the remaining adapters, wherein responsive to the at least one requesting host receiving the plurality of updates, the at least one receiving host redirects a bound connection to one of the plurality of virtual IP addresses to a particular one of the separate MAC addresses of one of the remaining adapters.

4. The system according to claim 3, further comprising:

the host and the at least one requesting host within a subnetwork configured to communicate via a local area network, wherein the at least one requesting host comprises at least one gateway and at least one other host, wherein the gateway communicates with a plurality of systems outside the subnetwork;

the host for monitoring whether the gateway is functioning by a dead gateway detection controller, wherein each adapter of the plurality of adapters is communicatively connected to the gateway through a separate switch from among a plurality of switches providing a plurality of paths to the gateway over the local area network;

the host for periodically sending by the dead gateway detection controller on the host, a ping to the at least one requesting host comprising the gateway via any of the plurality of adapters to determine if the gateway is functioning if the gateway returns a response to the ping, wherein the gateway stores one of the plurality of ARP responses from the plurality of adapters as the address for response to the ping; and

the gateway, responsive to the gateway receiving the separate ARP hardware address update for each virtual IP address, for updating the address for response to the ping to the particular one of the separate MAC addresses of one of the remaining adapters.

5. A program product comprising a computer-readable program stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium for managing failover in a host supporting a plurality of virtual IP addresses on a network, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

assign a plurality of adapters to the host;

assign a plurality of virtual internet protocol (IP) addresses to the host;

configure each adapter of the plurality of adapters of the host to concurrently support each virtual IP address of the plurality of virtual IP addresses assigned to the host by configuring a transport layer of a network stack on the host to compare an IP address specified in an ARP request received at the host with a list of the plurality of virtual IP addresses and by assigning a separate MAC hardware address to each of the plurality of adapters in an adapter layer of the network stack;

responsive to the host receiving an ARP request from at least one requesting host for a particular IP address, compare the particular IP address at the transport layer with the list of the plurality of virtual IP addresses;

responsive to the particular virtual IP address matching a selected virtual IP address within the plurality of virtual IP addresses, trigger, from the transport layer, each of the plurality of adapters in the adapter layer to send an ARP response to the at least one requesting host with each separate MAC hardware address of each separate adapter for the particular virtual IP address, wherein each at least one requesting host stores one of the plurality of ARP responses from the plurality of adapters;

responsive to a failure of at least one particular adapter from among the plurality of adapters, trigger, from the transport layer, each remaining adapter from among the plurality of adapters in the adapter layer to broadcast a separate ARP hardware address update for each virtual IP address of the plurality of virtual IP addresses over the network with each separate MAC address for each remaining adapter, wherein responsive to the at least one requesting host receiving the plurality of updates, the at least one receiving host redirects a bound connection to one of the plurality of virtual IP addresses to a particular one of the separate MAC addresses of one of the remaining adapters.

6. The program product according to claim 5, wherein the computer-readable program is transmitted over a network.

7. The program product according to claim 5, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

configure the host and the at least one requesting host within a subnetwork to communicate via a local area network, wherein the at least one requesting host comprises at least one gateway and at least one other host, wherein the gateway communicates with a plurality of systems outside the subnetwork;

monitor, by the host, whether the gateway is functioning by a dead gateway detection controller, wherein each adapter of the plurality of adapters is communicatively connected to the gateway through a separate switch from among a plurality of switches providing a plurality of paths to the gateway over the local area network;

periodically send, by the dead gateway detection controller on the host, a ping to the at least one requesting host comprising the gateway via any of the plurality of adapters to determine if the gateway is functioning if the gateway returns a response to the ping, wherein the gateway stores one of the plurality of ARP responses from the plurality of adapters as the address for response to the ping; and

responsive to the gateway receiving the separate ARP hardware address update for each virtual IP address, update by the gateway the address for response to the ping to the particular one of the separate MAC addresses of one of the remaining adapters.