Hardware-assisted fast data path switchover for a network device with redundant forwarding components

A network device, comprising:

• a first routing component;
• a second routing component;
• a first forwarding component;
• a second forwarding component;
• and
• a physical interface card concentrator with multiple physical interface cards,
• wherein the first routing component is configured to:
• provide, to the physical interface card concentrator, a signal indicating that the second forwarding component is to be an active forwarding component, and
• provide one or more packets to the second forwarding component, wherein the physical interface card concentrator is configured to:
• cause, by a control unit of the physical interface card concentrator, each of the multiple physical interface cards to establish a data path with the first forwarding component,
• wherein the active forwarding component is configured to forward traffic to the physical interface care concentrator;
• and
• cause, by the control unit of the physical interface card concentrator and based on the signal, the data path for each of the multiple physical interface cards to be simultaneously switched from being between the first forwarding component and the multiple physical interface cards to being between the second forwarding component and the multiple physical interface cards,
• wherein the multiple physical interface cards are communicating with the second forwarding component instead of with the first forwarding component;
• wherein the second forwarding component is configured to:
• provide the one or more packets to the multiple physical interface cards via the data path, and
• wherein the multiple physical interface cards are configured to:
• forward the one or more packets toward one or more destinations associated with the one or more packets.

A system comprising:

• a first routing component;
• a second routing component;
• a first forwarding component;
• a second forwarding component;
• and
• a physical interface card concentrator with a plurality of physical interface cards,
• wherein the physical interface card concentrator is configured to:
• cause, by a control unit of the physical interface card concentrator, each of the plurality of physical interface cards to establish a data path with the first forwarding component;
• wherein the first routing component is configured to:
• provide a signal indicating that the second forwarding component is to be an active forwarding component,
• wherein the active forwarding component is configured to forward traffic to the physical interface card concentrator,
• wherein, based on the signal, the data path for each of the physical interface cards is simultaneously switched from being between the first forwarding component and the plurality of physical interface cards to being between the second forwarding component and the plurality of physical interface cards, and
• wherein the physical interface cards are communicating with the second forwarding component instead of with the first forwarding component;
• and
• provide one or more packets to the second forwarding component,
• wherein the second forwarding component is configured to:
• provide the one or more packets to the physical interface cards via the data path;
• and
• wherein the plurality of physical interface cards are configured to:
• forward the one or more packets toward one or more destinations associated with the one or more packets,
• receive one or more additional packets, and
• provide the one or more additional packets to the second forwarding component to cause the second forwarding component to provide the one or more additional packets to the first routing component.