Method and apparatus for defining failover events in a network device
AssigneeNortel Networks Limited
InventorsKen Yu, Shang Chang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An user may define failover events in a network device by customizing the network device's response to a failure on the network. Specifically, an user may instruct the network device to activate or deactivate one or more interfaces, or undergo any number of additional communications, upon a perceived network failure or critical interface failure. This enables the network device to initiate or terminate connectivity with one or more network devices, as well as optionally performing failover to a standby network device, to enable the network device to more smoothly handle failover procedures and transition traffic to the network device that will be responsible for communication after failover has been effected.
Claims18
A method for defining a failover event on a network device, the method comprising the steps of:
- defining an interface group including at least a first interface on the network device, said interface group having an interface group status;
- assigning the interface group to a critical interface on the network device, said critical interface being different than the first interface;
- detecting a change in the interface group status from a first interface group status state to a second interface group status state;
- and
- altering a state of the critical interface on the network device in response to the detected change in the interface group status.
A network device, comprising control logic configured to enable a network manager to:
- defining an interface group including at least a first interface on the network device, said interface group having an interface group status;
- assigning the interface group to a critical interface on the network device, said critical interface being different than the first interface;
- detecting a change in the interface group status from a first interface group status state to a second interface group status state;
- and
- alter a state of the critical interface on the network device in response to the detected change in to interface group status.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.