Reducing false alarms when using network keep-alive messages

A method comprising:

• receiving, by a network device, a keep-alive probe packet associated with a communication session with a peer network device within a network, wherein the keep-alive probe packet includes quality of service (QoS) settings that controls forwarding priority of the keep-alive probe packet by packet-switching devices within the network;
• constructing, with the network device, a keep-alive response packet, wherein constructing the keep-alive response packet includes copying the QoS settings of the keep-alive probe packet to QoS settings within the keep-alive response packet;
• and outputting the keep-alive response packet from the network device to the peer network device;
• wherein the keep-alive probe packet includes a host-level preferential indicator that specifies preferential treatment for the keep-alive probe packet by packet processing software or hardware on the network device when receiving the keep-alive probe packet and by packet processing software or hardware on the peer network device when transmitting the keep-alive probe packet, and
• wherein constructing the keep-alive response packet with the network device includes copying the host-level preferential indicator of the keep-alive probe packet received from the network device to a host-level preferential indicator within the keep-alive response packet.

A network device comprising:

• one or more programmable processors coupled to a memory storing instructions and at least one network interface;
• and
• wherein, when executing the instructions, the processor is configured to:
• maintain a keep-alive transmit timer and a keep-alive detection timer associated with a communication session with a peer network device within a network, wherein keep-alive transmit timer defines a transmit time interval for transmitting keep-alive probe packets for the communication session and the keep-alive detection timer defines a current detection interval within which a response communication from the peer network device must be received to avoid a failure event for the communication session;
• responsive to expiration of the keep-alive transit timer during the current detection interval, output a first keep-alive probe packet associated with the communication session with the peer network device, wherein the first keep-alive probe packet includes quality of service (QoS) settings that control forwarding priority of the keep-alive probe packet by packet-switching devices within the network, and wherein the QoS settings have a value indicating a first priority level;
• responsive to a second expiration of the keep-alive transit timer associated with the current detection interval, determine whether a communication has been received from the peer network device since output of the first keep-alive probe packet and, when the communication has not been received, output a second keep-alive probe packet associated with the communication session, wherein the second keep-alive probe packet includes QoS settings having a value indicating a second priority level increased from the first priority level.

A network device comprising:

• one or more programmable processors coupled to a memory storing instructions and at least one network interface;
• and
• wherein, when executing the instructions, the processor is configured to:
• receive, by a network device, a keep-alive probe packet associated with a communication session with a peer network device within a network, wherein the keep-alive probe packet includes quality of service (QoS) settings that controls forwarding priority of the keep-alive probe packet by packet-switching devices within the network;
• construct, with the network device, a keep-alive response packet, wherein constructing the keep-alive response packet includes copying the QoS settings of the keep-alive probe packet to QoS settings within the keep-alive response packet;
• and
• output the keep-alive response packet from the network device to the peer network device;
• wherein the keep-alive probe packet includes a host-level preferential indicator that specifies preferential treatment for the keep-alive probe packet by packet processing software or hardware on the network device when receiving the keep-alive probe packet and by packet processing software or hardware on the peer network device when transmitting the keep-alive probe packet, and
• wherein constructing the keep-alive response packet with the network device includes copying the host-level preferential indicator of the keep-alive probe packet received from the network device to a host-level preferential indicator within the keep-alive response packet.