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US 7,002,905 B1Granted
Method and apparatus for performing the rebooting of a network node with minimal loss of network traffic
AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.
InventorsFelix Khouri, Henry Rivers, Mark Lazan, Samer Theodossy
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Abstract
A method of managing a network switch having a processor card, including a memory and a processing unit in the processor card is described. The method includes the steps of detecting an error and determining a type of the error. Then, determining whether a threshold has been reached and performing a hitless rebuild in the processor card when the type of the error is in a first set of errors and the threshold has not been reached.
Claims34
A method of managing a network switch having a processor card including a volatile memory and a processing unit in the processor card comprising:
- detecting an error;
- determining if the error is ignorable;
- determining whether a threshold has been reached if the error is determined to be ignorable, the threshold corresponding to a number of hitless rebuilds that have occurred within an amount of time;
- and,
- performing a hitless rebuild in the processor card if the threshold has not been reached, the performing a hitless rebuild comprising:
- performing an initialization of the volatile memory;
- and,
- protecting a portion of the volatile memory from access by the processing unit during the initialization.
5 more elements
An article comprising a machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed, cause a method to be performed, the method comprising:
- detecting an error;
- determining if the error is an ignorable error;
- determining whether a threshold has been reached if the error is determined to be an ignorable, the threshold corresponding to a number of hitless rebuilds that have occurred within an amount of time;
- and,
- performing a hitless rebuild in a processor card if the threshold has not been reached, the performing a hitless rebuild comprising:
- performing an initialization of a volatile memory;
- protecting a portion of the volatile memory from access by the processing unit during the initialization.
4 more elements
A method, comprising:
- within a networking hardware apparatus:
- operating a card having volatile memory space partitioned at least into a protected memory region and a non protected memory region, said operating not
- diminishing the likelihood of an error within said protected memory region any more than the likelihood of an error within said non protected memory region is diminished;
- said operating, comprising experiencing an error;
- and,
- re-initializing software that is executed on said card, said re-initializing in response to said error, said card comprising a processor that executes said software, said protected memory region storing information that can be used by said processor to execute said software after said software has been re-initialized, said information comprising routing table information, said re-initializing not deleting said routing table information from said protected memory region, said re-initializing deleting other information from said non protected memory region.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- within a networking hardware apparatus:
- operating a card having volatile memory space partitioned at least into a protected memory region and a non protected memory region, said operating not:
- diminishing the likelihood of an error within said protected memory region any more than the likelihood of an error within said non protected memory region is diminished;
- said operating comprising experiencing an error;
- and,
- re-initializing software that is executed on said card, said re-initializing in response to said error, said card comprising a processor that executes said software, said protected memory region storing information that can be used by said processor to execute said software after said software has been re-initialized, said information comprising state table information, said state table information further comprising the status of an interface card located within said networking hardware apparatus, said re-initializing not deleting said status from said protected memory region, said re-initializing deleting other information from said non protected memory region.
3 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a card for use in a networking hardware apparatus, said card comprising a processor to execute re-initializable software, said card comprising volatile memory, said volatile memory comprising a protected memory region and a non protected memory region, said protected memory region to store information that can be used by said processor to execute said re-initializable software after said software has been re-initialized, said information comprising routing table information, said re-initializable software comprising instructions for re-initializing said software in response to an error, said instructions executable by said processor, said routing table information not being deleted from said protected memory region during said re-initializing, said card not comprising:
- error preventive packaging that surrounds said protected memory region but not said non protected memory region.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a card for use in a networking hardware apparatus, said card comprising a processor to execute re-initializable software, said card comprising volatile memory, said volatile memory comprising a protected memory region and a non protected memory region, said protected memory region to store information that can be used by said processor to execute said re-initializable software after said software has been re-initialized, said information comprising state table information, said state table information further comprising the status of an interface card located within said networking hardware apparatus, said re-initializable software comprising instructions for re-initializing said software in response to an error, said instructions executable by said processor, said status not being deleted from said protected memory region during said re-initializing, said card not comprising:
- error preventive packaging that surrounds said protected memory region but not said non protected memory region.
An article comprising a machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed, cause a method to be performed, the method comprising:
- re-initializing software that is executed on a card within a networking hardware apparatus, said re-initializing in response to an error, said card comprising a processor that executes said software, said card comprising a volatile memory that stores information that can be used by said processor to execute said software after said software has been re-initialized, said information comprising routing table information, said re-initializing not deleting said routing table information from said memory because said instructions are written to be unable to invoke memory addresses for a segment of said memory where said routing table information resides so as to make said segment of said memory inaccessible during said re-initializing.
An article comprising a machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed, cause a method to be performed, the method comprising:
- re-initializing software that is executed on a networking device card, said re-initializing in response to an error, said networking device card comprising a processor that executes said software, said networking device card comprising volatile memory that stores information that can be used by said processor to execute said software, said information comprising state table information, said re-initializing not deleting said state table information from said memory because said instructions are written to be unable to invoke memory addresses for a segment of said memory where said routing table information resides so as to make said segment of said memory inaccessible during said re-initializing.
An apparatus, comprising:
- means for re-initializing software that is executed on a card located within a networking hardware apparatus, said re-initializing in response to an error, said card comprising a processor to execute said software, said networking device card comprising volatile memory, said volatile memory comprising a non protected memory region and a protected memory region, said protected memory region to store information that can be used by said processor to execute said software after said software has been re-initialized, said information comprising routing table information, said means for re-initializing further comprising means for not deleting said routing table information from said protected memory region during said re-initializing, said card not comprising:
- error preventive packaging that surrounds said protected memory region but not said non protected memory region.
A method, comprising:
- within a networking hardware apparatus:
- operating a card having volatile memory space partitioned at least into a protected memory region and a non protected memory region, said operating not
- diminishing the likelihood of an error within said protected memory region any more than the likelihood of an error within said non protected memory region is diminished;
- said operating, comprising experiencing an error;
- and,
- re-initializing software that is executed on a card located within said networking hardware apparatus, said re-initializing in response to said error, said card comprising a processor that executes said software, said protected memory region storing information that can be used by said processor to execute said software after said software has been re-initialized, said information further comprising state table information, said state table information further comprising network topology information, said re-initializing not deleting said network topology information from said protected memory region, said re-initializing deleting other information from said non protected memory region.
3 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a card for use in a networking hardware apparatus, said card comprising a processor to execute re-initializable software, said card comprising volatile memory, said volatile memory comprising a protected memory region and a non protected memory region, said protected memory region to store information that can be used by said processor to execute said re-initializable software after said software has been re-initialized, said information comprising state table information, said state table information further comprising network topology information, said re-initializable software comprising instructions for re-initializing said software in response to an error, said instructions executable by said processor, said network topology information not being deleted from said protected memory region during said re-initializing, said card not comprising:
- error preventive packaging that surrounds said protected memory region but not said non protected memory region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.