Stateful media access control security switchover support
AssigneeArista Networks, Inc.
InventorsSourav Basu, Tarun Jain, Kaustav Majumdar, Manish Singhvi
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Abstract
A method for managing a group of secured network devices. The method includes detecting, by a switchover agent operating in a secured network device of the group of secured network devices, a switchover between two supervisors operating in the secured network device, based on the detecting: generating a modified heartbeat packet, wherein the modified heartbeat packet comprises a suspension time that is significantly larger than a heartbeat interval, and sending the modified heartbeat packet to a second secured network device of the group of secured network devices.
Claims20
A method for managing a group of secured network devices, the method comprising:
- detecting, by a switchover agent operating in a secured network device of the group of secured network devices, a switchover between two supervisors operating in the secured network device;
- based on the detecting:
- generating a modified heartbeat packet, wherein the modified heartbeat packet comprises a suspension time that is larger than a heartbeat interval, and
- sending the modified heartbeat packet to a second secured network device of the group of secured network devices.
A secured network device of a group of secured network devices, comprising:
- an active supervisor;
- a standby supervisor;
- and
- a switchover agent, programmed to:
- detect, a switchover between the active supervisor and the standby supervisor;
- and
- based on the detection:
- generate a modified heartbeat packet, wherein the modified heartbeat packet comprises a suspension indicator, and
- send the modified heartbeat packet to a key server of the group of secured network devices to inform the key server to suspend key installation to the group of secured network devices.
A method for managing a secured network device, the method comprising:
- obtaining a key from a key server;
- installing, by an active supervisor of the secured network device, the key;
- after the installing, detecting, by a switchover agent operating in the secured network device of a group of secured network devices, a switchover between two supervisors operating in the secured network device;
- based on the detecting:
- generating a modified heartbeat packet, wherein the modified heartbeat packet comprises a suspension time, and
- sending the modified heartbeat packet to the key server.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.