Multi-Homing Device Handling of Control Plane Messages during Anticipated Control Plane Downtime
AssigneeArista Networks, Inc.
InventorsPavan Narasimhaprasad, Anand Narayanan, Mason Alexander Flowers, Akhil Shashidhar, Alton Lo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multi-homing network device may undergo an operation during which its control plane is inactive while its data plane remains active. During this operation, the data plane of the multi-homing network device may forward control plane messages to a peer multi-homing network device. The data plane of the peer multi-homing network device may receive and forward the control plane messages to the control plane of the peer multi-homing network device for appropriate processing.
Claims20
A network device operable with a peer network device to multi-home a device, the network device comprising:
- a data plane processor;
- and
- control circuitry coupled to the data plane processor and configured to:
- perform a hitless restart during which the control circuitry is inactive;
- and
- store, prior to the control circuitry being inactive, a traffic processing rule for the data plane processor to forward control plane messages, matching on the traffic processing rule, to the peer network device.
A network device operable with a peer network device to multi-home a device, the network device comprising:
- a data plane processor;
- memory circuitry for the data plane processor;
- and
- control circuitry coupled to the data plane processor and the memory circuitry, wherein the data plane processor is configured to:
- receive a control plane message originating from the multi-homed device and forwarded via the peer network device to the network device;
- and
- based on the control plane message matching on a traffic processing rule stored on the memory circuitry, provide the control plane message to the control circuitry for processing.
A network device operable with a peer network device to multi-home a device, the network device comprising:
- a data plane processor;
- and
- control circuitry coupled to the data plane processor and configured to:
- perform an operation during which the control circuitry is inactive and the data plane processor is active;
- and
- configure, prior to the control circuitry being inactive, the data plane processor to forward address resolution protocol (ARP) messages, addressed to an address shared by the network device and the peer network device, to the peer network device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.