Method and system for efficiently failing over interfaces in a network

• US 20050177762A1
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Check Point Software Technologies Incorporated (Check Point Software Technologies Limited)
• Original Assignee: Nokia, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Tuyen, Singh, Ravi I.
• Granted Patent: US 7,769,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink 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 method and apparatus is directed towards managing fail-over in a network. At least one back-up device is configured to process traffic if a fail-over condition occurs. The back-up device includes a physical interface. A logical interface X associated with the physical interface is monitored to determine if the fail-over condition has occurred. If it is determined that the fail-over condition has occurred on interface X, then the back-up device processes traffic for another logical interface Y, associated with the physical interface. Accordingly, logical interface Y may be unmonitored. According to one embodiment, if it is determined that the fail-over condition has occurred, the back-up device processes traffic for every logical interface associated with the physical interface.

Claims

1. A network device for managing fail-over on a network, comprising:

a first transceiver having an association with a first logical interface and a second logical interface; and

a processor that is configured to perform actions, the actions comprising;

monitoring a signal, wherein the signal is received through the first logical interface;

determining if a condition has occurred based on the signal; and

if the condition has occurred, enabling the network device to assume a role of another network device at the second logical interface.

2. The network device as in claim 1, wherein the signal is an advertisement signal sent from the other network device, and wherein the advertisement signal includes a periodic flow of packets.

3. The network device as in claim 1, wherein the signal is sent from the other network device, and wherein the condition is a failure of another transceiver that is associated with the other network device.

4. The network device of claim 1, wherein the signal includes packets, and wherein the determination of the condition is based upon a time interval between the packets.

5. The network device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to perform further actions, the further actions comprising:

if a packet is forwarded to an address that is associated with the second logical interface;

if the network device is performing a back-up role on the second logical interface, dropping the packet; and

if the network device is assuming the role of the other network device on the second logical interface, processing the packet.

6. The network device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to assume the role of the other network device on every logical interface that is associated with the first transceiver.

7. The network device of claim 1, further including another transceiver, wherein a monitored logical interface is associated with the other transceiver, and wherein the processor is configured to perform further actions, the further actions comprising:

monitoring the monitored logical interface;

determining if the monitored logical interface has failed; and

if the monitored logical interface has failed, assuming a back-up role on the first and second logical interfaces.

8. The network device of claim 1, wherein the second logical interface is a simulated internal interface that is externally addressable.

9. A system for managing fail-over on a network, comprising:

a first network device that is configured to provide a signal; and

a second network device including a first transceiver, wherein a first logical interface is associated with the first transceiver, a second logical interface is associated with the first transceiver, and wherein the second network device is configured to perform actions, the actions comprising;

monitoring the signal, wherein the signal is received through the first logical interface;

determining whether a condition has occurred based on the signal; and

if it is determined that the condition occurred, assuming a master role on the second logical interface.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the actions that the second network device is configured to perform further include:

if a packet is forwarded to an address that is associated with the first logical interface;

if the second network device is performing a back-up role on the first logical interface, dropping the packet; and

if the second network device is performing the master role on the first logical interface, processing the packet; and

if a packet is forwarded to an address that is associated with the second logical interface;

if the second network device is performing a back-up role on the second logical interface, dropping the packet; and

if the second network device is performing the master role on the second logical interface, processing the packet.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the signal includes advertisement packets, and wherein if the amount of time since the last advertisement packet was received exceeds a pre-determined time interval, it is determined that the condition occurred.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first network device includes another transceiver, third and fourth logical interfaces are associated with the other transceiver, the first logical interface is associated with a first virtual media access control address, the second logical interface is associated with a second virtual media access control address, the third logical interface is associated with the first virtual media access control address, and the fourth logical interface is associated with the second virtual media access control address.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the second network device is configured to provide a second signal at the first logical interface if the second network device is performing the master role on the first logical interface, wherein the first network device includes another transceiver, third and fourth logical interfaces are associated with the other transceiver, and wherein the first network device is arranged to perform actions, the actions including:

if the first network device is performing the master role on the third logical interface, providing the signal at the third logical interface;

if a packet is forwarded to an address that is associated with the third logical interface;

if the first network device is performing a back-up role on the third logical interface, dropping the packet; and

if the first network device is performing the master role on the third logical interface, processing the packet;

if a packet is forwarded to an address that is associated with the fourth logical interface;

if the first network device is performing the back-up role on the fourth logical interface, dropping the packet; and

if the first network device is performing the master role on the fourth logical interface, processing the packet; and

if the first network device is performing the back-up role on the third logical interface;

monitoring the second signal, wherein the second signal is received through the third logical interface;

determining whether a second condition has occurred based on the second signal; and

performing the master role on the fourth logical channel if it is determined that the second condition has occurred.

14. A method for managing fail-over on a network, comprising;

monitoring a signal, wherein the signal is received through a first logical interface, and wherein the first logical interface is associated with a first transceiver;

determining whether a condition has occurred based on the signal; and

performing a master role on a second logical interface if it is determined that the condition has occurred, wherein the second logical interface is associated with the first transceiver.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing the signal, wherein the signal includes advertisement packets, and wherein it is determined that the condition has occurred if an amount of time since any advertisement packet of the advertisement packets was received exceeds a pre-determined time interval.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further includes:

if it is determined that the condition has occurred, performing the master role on every logical channel that is associated with the transceiver.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the second logical interface is a simulated internal interface that is externally addressable.

18. The method of claim 14, further including:

if a packet is forwarded to an address that is associated with the first logical interface;

if a back-up role is being performed on the first logical interface, dropping the packet; and

if the master role is being performed on the first logical interface, processing the packet; and

if the packet is forwarded to an address that is associated with the second logical interface;

if the back-up role is being performed on the second logical interface, dropping the packet; and

if the master role is being performed on the second logical interface, processing the packet.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

if the master role is being performed on the first logical interface, providing a second signal at the first logical interface;

if the master role is being performed on a third logical interface, providing the signal at the third logical interface, wherein the third logical interface and a fourth logical interface are associated with a second transceiver;

if a packet is forwarded to an address that is associated with the third logical interface;

if the back-up role is being performed on the third logical interface, dropping the packet; and

if the master role is being performed on the third logical interface, processing the packet;

if a packet is forwarded to an address that is associated with the fourth logical interface;

if the back-up role is being performed on the fourth logical interface, dropping the packet; and

if the master role is being performed on the fourth logical interface, processing the packet; and

if the back-up role is being performed on the third logical interface;

monitoring the second signal, wherein the second signal is received through the third logical interface;

determining whether a second condition has occurred based on the second signal; and

performing the master role on the fourth logical channel if it is determined that the second condition has occurred.

20. A network device for managing fail-over on a network, comprising:

means for monitoring a signal, wherein the signal is received through a first logical interface, and wherein the first logical interface is associated with a first transceiver;

means for determining whether a condition has occurred based on the signal; and

means for performing a master role on a second logical interface if it is determined that the condition has occurred, wherein the second logical interface is associated with the first transceiver.