Detecting failure of layer 2 service using broadcast messages
US10805192B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 27, 2018 |
| Grant date | Oct 13, 2020 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 6, 2038 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L43/20
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Some embodiments provide a method for detecting a failure of a layer 2 (L2) bump-in-the-wire service at a device. In some embodiments, the device sends heartbeat signals to a second device connected to L2 service nodes in order to detect failure of the L2 service (e.g., a failure of all the service nodes). In some embodiments, the heartbeat signals are unidirectional heartbeat signals (e.g., a unidirectional bidirectional-forwarding-detection (BFD) session) sent from each device to the other. The heartbeat signals, in some embodiments, use a broadcast MAC address in order to reach the current active L2 service node in the case of a failover (i.e., an active service node failing and a standby service node becoming the new active service node). The unidirectional heartbeat signals are also used, in some embodiments, to decrease the time between a failover and data messages being forwarded to the new active service node.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.