Packet forwarding apparatus with redundant routing module
AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.
InventorHideki Okita
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A packet forwarding apparatus wherein a routing control packet received from a network is forwarded to both active and standby routing modules, the standby routing module executes predetermined routing control information processing and sends identification information of the routing control packet to the active routing module, the active routing module executes predetermined routing control information processing, returns a response packet to a sender of the routing control packet, and determines a state of the standby routing module depending on whether an internal control packet has been received from the standby routing module and its contents.
Claims9
A packet forwarding apparatus provided with a function to communicate routing control information with another node apparatus on a communication network according to a specific routing protocol, said packet forwarding apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of interface modules, each of which is connected to input and output lines of the communication network;
- at least two routing modules capable of switching their operation modes between active and standby modes, one of which operates as an active routing module, while the remaining operating as standby;
- and
- an internal switching unit for exchanging packets among said interface modules and said routing modules, wherein
- each of said interface modules has means for forwarding a routing control packet received from the communication network to both said active and standby routing modules,
- said routing module operating as standby has means for executing routing control information processing in accordance with said routing protocol in response to receiving said routing control packet, and means for sending an internal control packet including identification information of said routing control packet to said active routing module, and
- said routing module operating as the active has means for executing routing control information processing in accordance with said routing protocol in response to receiving said routing control packet and transmitting a response packet to a sender of the routing control packet, and means for determining a state of said standby routing module depending on whether the internal control packet has been received and its contents.
A packet forwarding apparatus provided with a function to communicate routing control information with another node apparatus on a communication network according to a specific protocol, said packet forwarding apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of interface modules, each of which is connected to input and output lines of a communication network;
- at least two routing modules capable of switching their operation modes between active and standby modes, one of which operates as an active routing module, while the remaining operating as standby;
- a node controller;
- and
- an internal switching unit for exchanging packets among said interface modules, said node controller and said routing modules, wherein
- each of said interface modules has means for forwarding a routing control packet received from the communication network to said node controller,
- said node controller has means for forwarding the routing control packet to both said active and standby routing modules
- said routing module operating as standby has means for executing routing control information processing in accordance with said protocol in response to receiving said routing control packet, and means for sending an internal control packet including identification information of said routing control packet to said active routing module, and
- said routing module operating as the active has means for executing routing control information processing in accordance with said protocol in response to receiving said routing control packet and returning a response packet to a sender of said routing control packet, and means for determining a state of said standby routing module depending on whether the internal control packet has been received and its contents.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.