Redundant control device and network system
AssigneeAlaxala Networks Corporation
InventorsShohei FUKUZAKI, Ken WATANABE
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Network repeaters which each implement a redundant switching function previously grasp connection states of ports of a network system by using an inquiry frame and an exchange frame. At the time when a line is broken, when actively confirming a state of a port connected to a port in which a line is broken via a downstream device, the network repeaters each grasp that which portion of the line is broken and determine whether a switchover is required. Through the process, the network repeaters each prevent a useless switchover such as switching-back immediately after the switchover, and at the same time since a mechanism of waiting for a given length of times is not required, they each perform a fast switchover.
Claims10
A network system comprising:
- a first redundant control device;
- and
- a second redundant control device, the second redundant control device as at least one other redundant control device being connected to the first redundant control device via downstream devices,
- wherein:
- the first redundant control device transmits from first ports connected to the downstream device an inquiry frame including a device identifier of the first redundant control device and port identifiers of the first ports;
- when the inquiry frame transmitted by the first redundant control device is received from second ports connected to the downstream devices, in addition to a device identifier of the first redundant control device included in the inquiry frame and port identifiers of the first ports, the second redundant control device transmits to the first redundant control device an exchange frame including a device identifier of the second redundant control device and port identifiers of the second ports;
- and
- when receiving the exchange frame, based on information included in the exchange frame, the first redundant control device keeps connection states of the ports that the first ports of the first redundant control device and the second ports of the second redundant control device are connected via the downstream devices.
A redundant control device connected to at least one other redundant control device via downstream devices, the redundant control device comprising:
- a control unit configured to keep connection states of ports between the redundant control device and the other redundant control device connected via the downstream devices;
- and
- a transmission and reception unit configured to transmit and receive a control frame,
- wherein:
- the transmission and reception unit transmits from first ports connected to the downstream devices an inquiry frame including a device identifier of the redundant control device and port identifiers of the first ports;
- in addition to a device identifier of the first redundant control device included in the inquiry frame and port identifiers of the first ports, the transmission and reception unit receives from the other redundant control device an exchange frame including a device identifier of the other redundant control device and port identifiers of second ports;
- and
- based on information included in the exchange frame received by the transmission and reception unit, the control unit keeps connection states of the ports that the first ports of the redundant control device and the second ports of the other redundant control device are connected via the downstream devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.