Method and apparatus for redundancy switching in line cards
AssigneeJuniper Networks, Inc.
InventorsValentino Liva, Isaac Wingfield
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for redundancy switching of line cards in a communications system. When a line card needs to be replaced or serviced or becomes inoperable, signal traffic is switched to and through a redundant line card. This is achieved by implementing a switching fabric on I/O cards, where the I/O cards carry signal traffic to and from line cards. The switching fabric enables traffic to and from an I/O card servicing the line card to be replaced to instead service the redundant line card.
Claims25
A system for redundancy switching of M primary line cards of a communications system, each of said primary line cards coupled to a corresponding primary I/O card, said system comprising:
- a switching fabric coupled to said primary I/O cards;
- N additional I/O cards coupled to said switching fabric, the primary I/O cards and the N additional I/O cards being connected in a daisy-chain fashion;
- and
- N redundant line cards, each said redundant line card coupled to a corresponding one of said additional I/O cards, wherein if any of said primary line cards is not operational, one of said redundant line cards is then coupled to the primary I/O card corresponding to said non-operational primary line card and said non-operational primary line card is de-coupled from its corresponding primary I/O card.
A network device comprising:
- a plurality of input/output (I/O) cards configured to receive and transmit radio frequency signals, the plurality of I/O cards being connected in a daisy-chain configuration, at least one of the plurality of I/O cards operating as a primary I/O card and at least one of the plurality of I/O cards operating as a backup I/O card;
- and
- a plurality of line cards, each line card connected to a different I/O card of the plurality of I/O cards, the line card connected to the at least one backup I/O card operating as a backup line card.
A network device comprising:
- a plurality of primary input/output (I/O) cards configured to receive and transmit radio frequency signals;
- at least one backup I/O card, the plurality of primary I/O cards and the backup card being connected in a daisy-chain configuration;
- a plurality of primary line cards, each line card associated with a different primary I/O card;
- and
- at least one backup line card associated with the at least one backup I/O card.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.