Method of negotiating an active or a passive role assignment to a control means of a network element, a control means, a program module and a network element therefor

A first control means of a network element able to negotiate an active or a passive role assignment with at least one second control means of said network element, said first control means and said at least one second control means being redundant and operating dependent on their respective active role or passive role, said first control means comprising means for carrying out the steps of:

• determining a first operability state parameter dependent on the ability of said first control means to perform its functionality;
• transmitting said first operability state parameter to said at least one second control means;
• receiving at least one second operability state parameter of said at least one second control means;
• and
• determining an active role or a passive role dependent on said first operability state parameter and said at least one second operability state parameter.

A program module for a first control means of a network element, said program module enabling said first control means to negotiate an active or a passive role assignment with at least one second control means of said network element, said first and said at least one second control means being redundant and operating dependent on their respective active or passive role, said program module containing program code able to be executed by said first control means and said program module making said first control means carrying out the steps of:

• determining a first operability state parameter dependent on the ability of said first control means to perform its functionality;
• transmitting said first operability state parameter to said at least one second control means;
• receiving at least one second operability state parameter of said at least one second control means;
• determining an active role or a passive role dependent on said first operability state parameter and said at least one second operability state parameter.

A Network element comprising a first and at least one second control means negotiating an active or a passive role assignment, said first control means and said at least one second control means being redundant and operating dependent on their respective active or passive role, said first control means and said at least one second control means being able to carry out the steps of:

• determining of operability state parameters for each of said control means dependent on the respective ability of said control means to perform their respective functionality;
• mutually transmitting said operability state parameters between said control means;
• and
• determining an active role or a passive role by said first control means and by said at least one second control means dependent on said respective operability state parameters.