Method, system and mirror driver for LAN mirroring

A system for detecting duplicated frames in a mirrored data communication network system, the system comprising:

• a creating and maintaining unit configured to create and maintain at least one data structure comprising one or more entries, an entry comprising key information for each one of the received data frames;
• a receiving unit configured to receive a data frame;
• a computing unit configured to compute an index to the data structure based on information acquired from the received data frame, the index pointing to an entry in the data structure;
• a storing unit configured to store the key information of the received data frame on the entry, when the entry corresponding to the computed index is empty or the entry does not comprise key information matching the key information in the received data frame;
• a forwarding unit configured to forward the data frame to an upper software layer;
• a discarding unit configured to discard the received data frame, when the entry comprises the key information matching the key information in the received data frame;
• and
• a deleting unit configured to delete key information from an entry, when the entry comprises the key information matching the key information in the received data frame,
• wherein the mirrored data communication network system includes at least one sender, at least one receiver and at least two redundant physically separate data communication networks between the sender and receiver.

A mirror driver for detecting duplicated frames in a mirrored data communication network system, the mirror driver comprising:

• a creating and maintaining unit configured to create and maintain at least one data structure comprising one or more entries, an entry comprising key information for each one of the received data frames;
• a receiving unit configured to receive a data frame;
• a computing unit configured to compute an index to the data structure based on information acquired from the received data frame, the index pointing to an entry in the data structure;
• a storing unit configured to store key information of the received data frame on the entry when the entry corresponding to the computed index is empty, or the entry does not comprise key information matching the key information in the received data frame;
• a forwarding unit configured to forward the data frame to an upper software layer when the entry corresponding to the computed index is empty, or the entry does not comprise key information matching the key information in the received data frame;
• a discarding unit configured to discard the received data frame, when the entry comprises the key information matching the key information in the received data frame;
• and
• a deleting unit configured to delete key information from an entry, when the entry comprises the key information matching the key information in the received data frame,
• wherein the mirrored data communication network system includes at least one sender, at least one receiver and at least two redundant physically separate data communication networks between the sender and receiver.

An apparatus for detecting duplicated frames in a mirrored data communication network system comprising at least two redundant physically separate networks, the apparatus comprising:

• creating and maintaining means for creating and maintaining at least one data structure comprising one or more entries, an entry comprising key information for each one of the received data frames;
• receiving means for receiving a data frame;
• computing means for computing an index to the data structure based on information acquired from the received data frame, the index pointing to an entry in the data structure;
• storing means for storing the key information of the received data frame on the entry, when the entry corresponding to the computed index is empty or the entry does not comprise key information matching the key information in the received data frame;
• forwarding means for forwarding the data frame to an upper software layer, when the entry corresponding to the computed index is empty or the entry does not comprise key information matching the key information in the received data frame;
• discarding means for discarding the received data frame, when the entry comprises the key information matching the key information in the received data frame;
• and
• deleting means for deleting key information from an entry, when the entry comprises the key information matching the key information in the received data frame.