# US 7,609,642 B2 · Detecting network interfaces capable of channel bonding > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,609,642 B2 - Document ID: US7609642B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/224,441 - Filed: 2005-09-12 - Published: 2007-03-15 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2005-09-12 - Assignees: Computer Associates Think, Inc. - Inventors: Glenn W. Myers - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7609642B2 ## CPC - H04L 61/10: of different types - H04L 61/00: Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming - H04L 2101/677: Multiple interfaces, e.g. multihomed nodes - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A method discovers whether network interfaces associated with a device are capable of being channel bonded. In particular, each network interface associated with a device broadcasts a message on a network that other network interfaces can identify as having originated on the sending network interface. If a second network interface associated with the device receives a message and identifies the message as having originated on a first network interface associated with the same device, the first and second network interfaces can be channel bonded. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: broadcasting a message formatted as an Address Resolution Protocol (“ARP”) packet with a first network interface associated with a device onto a network coupled to the first network interface, wherein the message is identifiable as having been sent by the first network interface, wherein a target protocol address field and a sender protocol address field of the ARP packet are zero, and wherein a sender hardware address field of the ARP packet is a hardware address of the first network interface; listening to a network coupled to a second network interface associated with the device for the message identifiable as having been sent by the first network interface; and marking the first network interface and the second network interface as capable of being channel bonded when the second network interface receives the message identifiable as having been sent by the first network interface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the network is a layer 2 network. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first network interface and the second network interface have the same transmission speed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising channel bonding the first and second network interfaces when the first and second network interfaces are marked as capable of channel bonding. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an externally available report listing network interfaces associated with the device that are capable of being channel bonded. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the hardware address is a Media Access Control (“MAC”) address. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the target protocol address and the sender protocol address fields represent Internet Protocol (“IP”) addresses. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising broadcasting the message periodically until a timeout expires. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising broadcasting the message periodically until all network interfaces associated with the device are marked as capable of being channel bonded to one another. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a node in a distributed computing environment. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving instructions from a control node of the distributed computing environment to channel bond two or more of the network interfaces marked as capable of being channel bonded. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising discovering each network interface associated with the device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the network is an Ethernet network or a wireless network. ### Claim 14 A system comprising: a network capable of transmitting packets to network interfaces coupled to the network; a first network interface that broadcasts a message on the network, wherein the message is identifiable as having been sent by the first network interface, wherein the first network interface formats the message as an Address Resolution Protocol (“ARP”) packet, wherein a target protocol address field and a sender protocol address field of the ARP-formatted packet are zero, and wherein a sender hardware address field of the ARP-formatted packet is a hardware address of the first network interface; and a second network interface that listens to the network for the message identifiable as having been sent by the first network interface; and a network detection module that marks the first network interface and the second network interface as capable of being channel bonded when the second network interface receives the message identifiable as having been sent by the first network interface and the first network interface and the second network interface are associated with a single device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the network is a layer 2 network. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the first network interface and the second network interface have the same speed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the device channel bonds the first network interface and the second network interface when the network detection module marks the first network interface and the second network interface as capable of being channel bonded. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the network detection module generates an externally available report listing network interfaces associated with the device that are capable of being channel bonded. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the hardware address is a Media Access Control (“MAC”) address. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the target protocol address and the sender protocol address fields represent Internet Protocol (“IP”) addresses. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the first network interface broadcasts the message periodically until a timeout expires. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the first network interface broadcasts the message periodically until the network detection module detects that all network interfaces associated with the device are capable of being channel bonded to one another. ### Claim 23 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the device is a node in a distributed computing environment. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The system of claim 23, wherein the network detection module receives instructions from a control node of the distributed computing environment to channel bond two or more of the network interfaces marked as capable of being channel bonded. ### Claim 25 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the network is an Ethernet network or a wireless network. ### Claim 26 A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a processor to: broadcast a message formatted as an Address Resolution Protocol (“ARP”) packet with a first network interface associated with a device onto a network coupled to the network interface, wherein the message is identifiable as having been sent by the first network interface, wherein a target protocol address field and a sender protocol address field of the ARP packet are zero, and wherein a sender hardware address field of the ARP packet is a hardware address of the first network interface; listen to a network with a second network interface associated with the device for the message identifiable as having been sent by the first network interface; and mark the first network interface and the second network interface as capable of being channel bonded when the second network interface receives the message identifiable as having been sent by the first network interface. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the network is an Ethernet network. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) The computer-readable medium of claim 26, further comprising instructions that cause the processor to channel bond the first and second network interfaces when the first and second network interfaces are marked as capable of channel bonding. ### Claim 29 (depends on 26) The computer-readable medium of claim 26, further comprising instructions that cause the processor to generate an externally available report listing network interfaces associated with the device that are capable of being channel bonded.