Dual-homing layer 2 switch
AssigneeGarrettcom, Inc.
InventorsDileep Sivasankaran, Frank S. Madren
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One embodiment relates to a method of providing dual-homing in a layer 2 switch. A determination is made as to whether a link is available to an upstream network on for a currently active port. If the link is unavailable, then the layer 2 switch a) performs a switchover such that the currently active port becomes a newly passive port, and a currently passive port becomes a newly active port, b) clears entries in an address table of the layer 2 switch, and c) spoofs MAC addresses out of the newly active link. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
Claims34
A method of providing dual-homing in a layer 2 switch, the method comprising:
- determining whether a link is available to an upstream network on a currently active port;
- and
- if the link is unavailable, then a) performing a switchover such that the currently active port becomes a newly passive port, and a currently passive port becomes a newly active port, b) clearing entries in an address table of the layer 2 switch, and c) spoofing MAC addresses out of the newly active port, wherein spoofing MAC addresses out of the newly active port comprises sending broadcast or multicast packets out of the newly active port and formatting the packets such that addresses of the downstream nodes are adopted as MAC addresses of the packets, wherein the packets are configured to instruct upstream devices that packets directed to the addresses of the downstream nodes should be sent to the newly active port.
A network apparatus with layer 2 switching capabilities configured to provide dual-homing via two ports, the apparatus comprising:
- a currently active port and a newly passive port;
- processor-executable code configured to determine whether a link is available to an upstream network on a the currently active port;
- and
- processor-executable code configured, if the link is unavailable, to a) perform a switchover such that the currently active port becomes a the newly passive port, and a the currently passive port becomes a newly active port, b) clear entries in an address table of the layer 2 switch, and c) spoof MAC addresses out of the newly active port, wherein the processor-executable code is configured to spoof MAC addresses out of the newly active port by sending broadcast or multicast packets out of the newly active port and formatting the packets such that addresses of the downstream nodes are adopted as MAC addresses of the packets, wherein the packets are configured to instruct upstream devices that packets directed to the addresses of the downstream nodes should be sent to the newly active port.
A network apparatus with layer 2 switching capabilities, the apparatus comprising:
- a currently active port and a newly passive port;
- a switching device configured to:
- determine whether the link is available to an upstream network on a currently active port;
- and
- if the link is unavailable, to:
- switch ports such that the currently active port becomes the newly passive port, and the currently passive port becomes the newly active port,
- modify entries in an address table of the layer 2 switch by performing at least one of clearing the entries or moving one or more entries from the newly passive port to the newly active port, and
- spoof MAC addresses out of the newly active port, wherein the switching device is configured to spoof MAC addresses out of the newly active port by sending broadcast or multicast packets out of the newly active port and formatting the packets such that addresses of the downstream nodes are adopted as MAC addresses of the packets, wherein the packets are configured to instruct upstream devices that packets directed to the addresses of the downstream nodes should be sent to the newly active port.
A network apparatus with layer 2 switching capabilities, the apparatus comprising:
- a currently active port and a newly passive port;
- a switching device configured to:
- determine whether the link is available to an upstream network on a currently active port;
- and
- if the link is unavailable, to:
- switch ports such that the currently active port becomes the newly passive port, and the currently passive port becomes the newly active port,
- modify entries in an address table of the layer 2 switch by performing at least one of clearing the entries or moving one or more entries from the newly passive port to the newly active port, and
- send packets out of the newly active port to one or more upstream devices in the upstream network, wherein the packets are formatted such that addresses of the downstream nodes are adopted as MAC addresses of the packets, and wherein the packets are configured to inform the upstream devices that packets directed to the addresses of the downstream nodes should be sent to the newly active port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.