Self-restarting network devices

• US 8,156,319 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2008
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Clemm, Alexander, Yang, Junekang, Chang, Steve Chen-Lin, Zhao, Jiabin, Lin, Shyyunn Sheran
• Primary Examiner(s): DU, THUAN N
• Application Number:
  US12/191,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20100042820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 714/2, 370/216
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1441 Resetting or repowering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/177 Initialisation or configuration control processor initialisation G06F9/4405
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/442 Shutdown

Abstract

A method and apparatus for self-monitoring to identify an occurrence of a threshold and rebooting in response to the occurrence of the threshold is provided. In an embodiment, a data processing apparatus comprises one or more processors; logic coupled to the one or more processors and comprising one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to obtain a threshold associated with the apparatus; self-monitor the apparatus to identify an occurrence of the threshold; and self-reboot the apparatus responsive to the occurrence of the threshold.

Claims

1. An internetworking device comprising:

one or more processors;

logic coupled to the one or more processors and comprising one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

obtain an elapsed runtime threshold associated with the internetworking device;

self-monitor the internetworking device to identify an occurrence of elapsed runtime of the internetworking device meeting the elapsed runtime threshold; and

self-reboot the internetworking device responsive to the occurrence of elapsed runtime of the internetworking device meeting the elapsed runtime threshold.

2. The internetworking device of claim 1, wherein the logic further comprises instructions which when executed cause the one or more processors to save a state associated with the internetworking device, and wherein the self-reboot is a planned reboot subsequent to saving the state associated with the internetworking device.

3. The internetworking device of claim 1, wherein the logic further comprises instructions which when executed cause the one or more processors to:

obtain a second threshold associated with the internetworking device;

self-monitor the internetworking device to identify an occurrence of the second threshold;

self-reboot the internetworking device responsive to the occurrence of the second threshold;

wherein the second threshold is any one or more of;

a utilization threshold of a component in the internetworking device;

an error rate threshold associated with the internetworking device;

or a packet drop rate threshold associated with the internetworking device.

4. The internetworking device of claim 1, wherein the internetworking device is a router or a switch.

5. The internetworking device of claim 1, wherein the logic further comprises instructions which when executed cause the one or more processors to decrease network traffic routed through the internetworking device prior to rebooting the internetworking device.

6. The internetworking device of claim 1, wherein the logic further comprises instructions which when executed cause the one or more processors to decrease network traffic routed through the internetworking device prior to rebooting the internetworking device by any one of:

increasing a cost of one or more links associated with the internetworking device prior to rebooting the internetworking device;

temporarily disconnecting or disabling a connection from the internetworking device to one or more network devices prior to rebooting the internetworking device;

or notifying one or more network devices of a rebooting time prior to rebooting the internetworking device.

7. The internetworking device of claim 1, wherein the logic further comprises instructions which when executed cause the one or more processors to coordinate a rebooting time of the internetworking device with a rebooting time of one or more network devices.

8. An internetworking device comprising in combination:

one or more processors;

means for obtaining an elapsed runtime threshold associated with the internetworking device;

means for self-monitoring the internetworking device to identify an occurrence of elapsed runtime of the internetworking device meeting the elapsed runtime threshold; and

means for self-rebooting the internetworking device responsive to the occurrence of the elapsed runtime of the internetworking device meeting the elapsed runtime threshold.

9. The internetworking device of claim 8, further comprising:

means for obtaining a second threshold associated with the internetworking device;

means for self-monitoring the internetworking device to identify an occurrence of the second threshold;

means for self-rebooting the internetworking device responsive to the occurrence of the second threshold;

wherein the second threshold is any one of a utilization threshold of a component in the internetworking device;

an error rate threshold associated with the internetworking device;

or a packet drop rate threshold associated with the internetworking device.

10. The internetworking device of claim 8, wherein the internetworking device is a router or a switch.

11. The internetworking device of claim 8, further comprising means for decreasing network traffic routed through the internetworking device prior to rebooting the internetworking device.

12. The internetworking device of claim 8, further comprising means for decreasing network traffic routed through the internetworking device prior to rebooting the internetworking device by:

increasing a cost of one or more links associated with the internetworking device prior to rebooting the internetworking device;

temporarily disconnecting or disabling a connection from the internetworking device to one or more network devices prior to rebooting the internetworking device;

or notifying one or more network devices of a rebooting time prior to rebooting the internetworking device.

13. The internetworking device of claim 8, further comprising means for coordinating a rebooting time of the internetworking device with a rebooting time of one or more network devices.

14. A computer readable storage medium on an internetworking device comprising one or more sequences of instructions which when executed by one or more processors cause:

obtaining an elapsed runtime threshold associated with the internetworking device;

self-monitoring the internetworking device to identify an occurrence of the elapsed runtime of the internetworking device meeting the elapsed runtime threshold; and

self-rebooting the internetworking device responsive to the occurrence of elapsed runtime of the internetworking device meeting the elapsed runtime threshold.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions when executed by one or more processors further cause:

obtaining a second threshold associated with the internetworking device;

self-monitoring the internetworking device to identify an occurrence of the second threshold;

self-rebooting the internetworking device responsive to the occurrence of the second threshold;

wherein the second threshold is any one of;

a utilization threshold of a component in the internetworking device;

an error rate threshold associated with the internetworking device;

or a packet drop rate threshold associated with the internetworking device.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the internetworking device is a router or a switch.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions when executed by one or more processors further cause decreasing network traffic routed through the internetworking device prior to rebooting the internetworking device.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions when executed by one or more processors further cause decreasing network traffic routed through the working device prior to rebooting the internetworking device by:

increasing a cost of one or more links associated with the internetworking device prior to rebooting the internetworking device;

temporarily disconnecting or disabling a connection from the internetworking device to one or more network devices prior to rebooting the internetworking device;

or notifying one or more network devices of a rebooting time prior to rebooting the internetworking device.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the one or more sequences of instructions when executed by one or more processors further cause coordinating a rebooting time of the internetworking device with a rebooting time of one or more network devices.

20. A data processing method comprising:

obtaining an elapsed runtime threshold associated with a network infrastructure element;

self-monitoring the network infrastructure element to identify an occurrence of elapsed runtime of the network infrastructure element meeting the elapsed runtime threshold; and

self-rebooting the network infrastructure element responsive to the occurrence of the elapsed runtime of the network infrastructure element meeting the elapsed runtime threshold.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

obtaining a second threshold associated with the network infrastructure element;

self-monitor the network infrastructure element to identify an occurrence of the second threshold;

self-reboot the network infrastructure element responsive to the occurrence of the second threshold;

wherein the second threshold is any one of a utilization threshold of a component in the network infrastructure element;

an error rate threshold associated with the network infrastructure element;

or a packet drop rate threshold associated with the network infrastructure element.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising decreasing network traffic routed through the internetworking device prior to rebooting the network infrastructure element.