Mobile IP mobility agent standby protocol

A standby Mobility Agent for providing Mobile IP redundancy, comprising:

• means for determining that an active Mobility Agent, with which the standby Mobility Agent shares a virtual IP address known to a Mobile Node, is no longer acting as a Mobility Agent on a network segment for the Mobile Node;
• means for assuming the role of active Mobility Agent on the network segment for the shared virtual IP address, thereby handling registrations from the Mobile Node;
• and
• means for sending a list of registrations currently handled by the active Mobility Agent on the network segment to a new standby Mobility Agent on the network segment.

A standby Mobility Agent for providing Mobile IP redundancy, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory, wherein at least one of the processor and the memory are adapted for:
• determining that an active Mobility Agent, with which the standby Mobility Agent shares a virtual IP address known to a Mobile Node, is no longer acting as a Mobility Agent on a network segment for the Mobile Node;
• assuming the role of active Mobility Agent on the network segment for the shared virtual IP address, thereby handling registrations from the Mobile Node;
• and
• sending a list of registrations currently handled by the active Mobility Agent on the network segment to a new standby Mobility Agent on the network segment.

A computer readable medium for maintaining Mobile IP operation in an active Mobility Agent on a network segment, comprising:

• instructions for registering a Mobile Node;
• instructions for creating a registration entry internally for the Mobile Node;
• and
• instructions for sending a message notifying a standby Mobility Agent on the network segment of the registration, the active Mobility Agent and the standby Mobility Agent sharing a virtual IP address known to the Mobile Node.

An active Mobility Agent on a network segment, the active Mobility Agent being adapted for maintaining Mobile IP operation, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory, at least one of the processor and the memory being adapted for:
• registering a Mobile Node;
• creating a registration entry internally for the Mobile Node;
• and
• sending a message notifying a standby Mobility Agent on the network segment of the registration, the active Mobility Agent and the standby Mobility Agent sharing a virtual IP address known to the Mobile Node.

An active Mobility Agent adapted for maintaining Mobile IP operation, comprising:

• means for registering a Mobile Node;
• means for creating a registration entry internally for the Mobile Node;
• and
• means for sending a message notifying a standby Mobility Agent on the network segment of the registration, the active Mobility Agent and the standby Mobility Agent sharing a virtual IP address known to the Mobile Node.

A router adapted for providing redundancy for a network segment, comprising:

• means for assuming the status of standby router on the network segment to backup an active router on the network segment, with which the standby router shares a virtual IP address known to a host based at the network segment;
• means for determining that the active router is no longer acting as an active router for the host;
• means for assuming the role of active router for the shared virtual IP address, thereby handling packet exchange tasks for the host;
• and
• means for apprising a new standby router of an entry to a dynamic list specifying the status of one or more hosts based at the network segment.

A router adapted for providing redundancy for a network segment, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory, at least one of the processor and the memory being adapted for:
• assuming the status of standby router on the network segment to backup an active router on the network segment, with which the standby router shares a virtual IP address known to a host based at the network segment;
• determining that the active router is no longer acting as an active router for the host;
• means for assuming the role of active router for the shared virtual IP address, thereby handling packet exchange tasks for the host;
• and
• apprising a new standby router of an entry to a dynamic list specifying the status of one or more hosts based at the network segment.

A computer readable medium for providing redundancy for a network segment, comprising:

• instructions for assuming the status of standby router on the network segment to backup an active router on the network segment, with which the standby router shares a virtual IP address known to a host based at the network segment;
• instructions for determining that the active router is no longer acting as an active router for the host;
• instructions for assuming the role of active router for the shared virtual IP address, thereby handling packet exchange tasks for the host;
• and
• instructions for apprising a new standby router of an entry to a dynamic list specifying the status of one or more hosts based at the network segment.

In a standby Mobility Agent, a method of providing Mobile IP redundancy, the method comprising:

• receiving a list of registrations for one or more Mobile Nodes from an active Mobility Agent on a network segment, the active Mobility Agent sharing a virtual IP address with the standby Mobility Agent;
• determining that the active Mobility Agent is no longer acting as a Mobility Agent on the network segment;
• and
• assuming the role of active Mobility Agent on the network segment for the shared virtual IP address, thereby handling the list of registrations for the one or more Mobile Nodes.

A computer-readable medium storing thereon computer-readable instructions for performing a method in a standby Mobility Agent of providing Mobile IP redundancy, comprising:

• instructions for receiving a list of registrations for one or more Mobile Nodes from an active Mobility Agent on a network segment, the active Mobility Agent sharing a virtual IP address with the standby Mobility Agent;
• instructions for determining that the active Mobility Agent is no longer acting as a Mobility Agent on the network segment;
• and
• instructions for assuming the role of active Mobility Agent on the network segment for the shared virtual IP address, thereby handling the list of registrations for the one or more Mobile Nodes.

A standby Mobility Agent adapted for providing Mobile IP redundancy, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory, at least one of the processor and the memory being adapted for:
• receiving a list of registrations for one or more Mobile Nodes from an active Mobility Agent on a network segment, the active Mobility Agent sharing a virtual IP address with the standby Mobility Agent;
• determining that the active Mobility Agent is no longer acting as a Mobility Agent on the network segment;
• and
• assuming the role of active Mobility Agent on the network segment for the shared virtual IP address, thereby handling the list of registrations for the one or more Mobile Nodes.

A standby Mobility Agent adapted for performing a method of providing Mobile IP redundancy, comprising:

• means for receiving a list of registrations for one or more Mobile Nodes from an active Mobility Agent on a network segment, the active Mobility Agent sharing a virtual IP address with the standby Mobility Agent;
• means for determining that the active Mobility Agent is no longer acting as a Mobility Agent on the network segment;
• and
• means for assuming the role of active Mobility Agent on the network segment for the shared virtual IP address, thereby handling the list of registrations for the one or more Mobile Nodes.