Virtual router identifier that spans multiple interfaces in a routing device
AssigneeFoundry Networks, Inc.
InventorXiaohong Pan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A virtual router spans a number of physical routing devices. One of the physical routing devices is designated as master, and the other physical routing devices are designated as backups to the master. The virtual router may be situated between a first local area network and a second local area network. A virtual router identifier can be associated with multiple interfaces on each of the physical routing devices.
Claims20
A physical routing device that is configurable as a member of a virtual router, said physical routing device comprising:
- a central processing unit (CPU);
- a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, said instructions when executed by said CPU implementing a method of configuring said virtual router, said method comprising:
- receiving packets from a first network through a first interface of a first physical routing device and forwarding said packets to a second network through a second interface of said first physical routing device, wherein said first physical routing device is a member of both a first virtual router and a second virtual router;
- associating a first virtual router identifier (VRID) with said first interface and a second VRID with said second interface, said first and second VRIDs having different values, said first VRID associating said first interface with said first virtual router and said second VRID associating said second interface with said second virtual router;
- and
- associating a single third VRID with both said first interface and said second interface.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable code stored thereon for causing a routing device to perform a method of configuring a virtual router that spans a plurality of physical routing devices, said method comprising:
- designating a first physical routing device of said virtual router as master, said first physical routing device comprising a first interface for a first network and a second interface for a second network, wherein a second physical routing device of said virtual router is designated as a backup to said master, said second physical routing device comprising a third interface for said first network and a fourth interface for said second network;
- and
- associating a virtual router identifier (VRID) with both said first interface and said second interface, wherein said VRID is also associated with both said third interface and said fourth interface.
A physical routing device comprising:
- a central processing unit (CPU);
- a first plurality of interfaces coupled to said CPU and operable for receiving packets from a first network and forwarding said packets to a second network;
- and
- a computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored therein that are executable by said CPU, said instructions being executable to configure a virtual router comprising said physical routing device and at least a second physical routing device, wherein a virtual router identifier (VRID) is associated with each interface in said first plurality, wherein said VRID is also associated with each interface in a second plurality of interfaces of said second physical routing device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.