SELF-RESTARTING NETWORK DEVICES

• US 20100042820A1
• Filed: 08/13/2008
• Published: 02/18/2010
• 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, Lin, Shyyunn Sheran, Chang, Steve Chen-Lin, Yang, Junekang, Zhao, Jiabin
• Granted Patent: US 8,156,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 apparatus 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 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.

2. The apparatus 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 apparatus, and wherein the self-reboot is a planned reboot subsequent to saving the state associated with the apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the threshold is any one or more of a utilization threshold of a component in the apparatus;

an error rate threshold associated with the apparatus;

a packet drop rate threshold associated with the apparatus;

or an elapsed runtime threshold of the apparatus.

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

5. The apparatus 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 apparatus prior to rebooting the apparatus.

6. The apparatus 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 apparatus prior to rebooting the apparatus by any one of:

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

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

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

7. The apparatus 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 apparatus with a rebooting time of one or more network devices.

8. An apparatus comprising in combination:

one or more processors;

means for obtaining a threshold associated with the apparatus;

means for self-monitoring the apparatus to identify an occurrence of the threshold; and

means for self-rebooting the apparatus responsive to the occurrence of the threshold.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the threshold is any one of a utilization threshold of a component in the apparatus;

an error rate threshold associated with the apparatus;

a packet drop rate threshold associated with the apparatus; and

an elapsed runtime threshold of the apparatus.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

obtaining a threshold associated with the apparatus;

self-monitoring the apparatus to identify an occurrence of the threshold; and

self-rebooting the apparatus responsive to the occurrence of the threshold.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the threshold is any one of:

a utilization threshold of a component in the apparatus;

an error rate threshold associated with the apparatus;

a packet drop rate threshold associated with the apparatus; and

an elapsed runtime threshold of the apparatus.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the apparatus 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 apparatus prior to rebooting the apparatus.

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 apparatus prior to rebooting the apparatus by:

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

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

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

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 apparatus with a rebooting time of one or more network devices.

20. A data processing method comprising:

obtain a threshold associated with a network infrastructure element;

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

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

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the 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;

a packet drop rate threshold associated with the network infrastructure element;

or an elapsed runtime threshold of the network infrastructure element.

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