Method and system for efficiently failing over interfaces in a network

• US 7,769,862 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Check Point Software Technologies Incorporated (Check Point Software Technologies Limited)
• Original Assignee: Check Point Software Technologies Incorporated (Check Point Software Technologies Limited)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Tuyen, Singh, Ravi I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Osman; Ramy M
• Application Number:
  US10/741,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20050177762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,419 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/208, 709/209, 709/226, 709/239, 709/250, 370/241, 370/242, 370/216, 370/217, 370/219, 370/220, 370/225
• US Class Current: 709/226
• 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 first network device, comprising:

a first transceiver comprising a first logical interface and a second logical interface;

wherein each logical interface of the transceiver is connected to one or more logical interfaces of a second network device; and

a processor configured to;

monitor a signal received at the first logical interface;

determine, based on the signal, whether a failover condition has occurred at the second network device; and

assume a role of the second network device at both the first logical interface and the second logical interface based on the failover condition.

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

3. The first network device as in claim 1, wherein the signal is sent from the second network device, and wherein the fail-over condition is a failure of a second transceiver that is associated with the second network device.

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

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

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

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

if the first network device is assuming the role of the second network device on the second logical interface, process the packet.

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

7. The first network device of claim 1, further including a second transceiver, wherein a monitored logical interface is associated with the second transceiver, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

monitor the monitored logical interface;

determine if the monitored logical interface has failed; and

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

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

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

a first network device comprising a transceiver and a processor, wherein the first network device is configured to assume a master role on the network; and

a second network device configured to transmit a signal,

wherein the transceiver comprises a first logical interface and a second logical interface,

wherein each logical interface of the transceiver is connected to one or more logical interfaces of the second network device, and

wherein the processor is configured to;

monitor the signal received through the first logical interface of the first network device;

determine, based on the signal, that a fail-over condition has occurred on one or more of the logical interfaces of the second network device; and

assume, based on the fail-over condition, the master role on the network at both the first logical interface and the second logical interface of the first network device for each of the one or more logical interfaces of the second network device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first network device is further configured to:

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

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

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

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

if the first network device is performing the master role on the second logical interface, process 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 fail-over condition occurred.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first network device includes a second transceiver, third and fourth logical interfaces are associated with the second 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 a second transceiver, third and fourth logical interfaces are associated with the second transceiver, and wherein the first network device is configured to:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

monitoring a signal, wherein the signal is received through a first logical interface of a first transceiver or a first network device connected with a second transceiver of a second network device, wherein the first network device further comprises a second logical interface;

wherein each logical interface of the first network device is connected to one or more logical interfaces of the second network device;

determining, based on the signal, that a fail-over condition has occurred at the second transceiver; and

performing, at both the first logical interface and the second logical interface of the first network device, a master role of the second transceiver of the second network device based on the fail-over condition, wherein the second transceiver includes multiple logical interfaces and the fail-over condition occurred on one or more of the logical interfaces of the second 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 fail-over 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, further comprising if it is determined that the fail-over condition has occurred, performing the master role on every logical channel that is associated with the second transceiver.

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

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

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 a second logical interface of the first transceiver;

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 third 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 a fail-over condition on a network, comprising:

processing means for monitoring a signal, wherein the signal is received through a first logical interface of a first transceiver of the network device connected with a second transceiver of a second network device, wherein the first network device further comprises a second logical interface;

wherein each logical interface of the first network device is connected to one or more logical interfaces of the second network device;

processing means for determining, based on the signal, that a fail-over condition has occurred at the second transceiver; and

processing means for performing, at both the first logical interface and the second logical interface of the network device, a master role of the second transceiver of the second network device based on the fail-over condition, wherein the second transceiver includes multiple logical interfaces and the fail-over condition occurred on one or more of the logical interfaces of the second transceiver.