Technique for automatically configuring a communication network element
First Claim
1. A method of communicating, comprising:
- automatically adjusting a first timing interval used by a first network element for sending heartbeat messages over a link responsive to an indication of a second timing interval used by a second network element for sending heartbeat messages over the link, the first network element performing the adjusting;
automatically adjusting the first timing interval for any link having an active status;
determining a status of the link based on whether at least one of the first or second network elements is sending the heartbeat messages at a corresponding one of the intervals;
determining the status of the link to be one ofstarted when at least the first network element has started a serial link address resolution protocol on the link;
stopped when the link is not active; and
up when the link is active;
ordown when traffic is expected over the link but there has been a failure in communicating the heartbeat messages between the first and second network elements.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automatically provisioned network element (26) has the ability to detect a heartbeat message interval used by a remote network element (22, 24) and to automatically adjust a heartbeat interval timer value that it uses for sending subsequent heartbeat messages. The adjustment is responsive to the interval used by the remote network element 50 that they correspond to each other. By automatically configuring the heartbeat timer interval value so that there is correspondence between the intervals used by the end points on a link over which Cisco HDLC SLARP communications occur, for example, the chance of a link being considered to have failed is decreased. In a disclosed example, the heartbeat interval timer value is initially set to a value that is expected to be higher than that used by the remote network element and only automatic reductions in the heartbeat message interval timer value are permitted.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of communicating, comprising:
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automatically adjusting a first timing interval used by a first network element for sending heartbeat messages over a link responsive to an indication of a second timing interval used by a second network element for sending heartbeat messages over the link, the first network element performing the adjusting; automatically adjusting the first timing interval for any link having an active status; determining a status of the link based on whether at least one of the first or second network elements is sending the heartbeat messages at a corresponding one of the intervals; determining the status of the link to be one of started when at least the first network element has started a serial link address resolution protocol on the link; stopped when the link is not active; and up when the link is active;
ordown when traffic is expected over the link but there has been a failure in communicating the heartbeat messages between the first and second network elements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A communication network element, comprising
a message sending portion that sends a plurality of heartbeat messages over a link, the heartbeat messages being separated from each other in time by a first timing interval; - and
a control that automatically adjusts the first timing interval responsive to an indication of a second timing interval used by a second network element for sending heartbeat messages over the link; wherein the control determines a status of the link based on whether at least one of the first or second network elements is sending the heartbeat messages at a corresponding one of the intervals; automatically adjusts the first timing interval for any link having an active status; determines the status of the link to be one of started when at least the first network element has started the SLARP protocol on the link; stopped when the link is not active; up when the link is active;
ordown when traffic is expected over the link but there has been a failure in communicating the heartbeat messages between the first and second network elements. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification