Patent · US Active

System and method for detecting and recovering from virtual switch link failures

US7639605B2 · kind B2 · utility

21Cited by
9References
26Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 8, 2006
Grant dateDec 29, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 13, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L49/70
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system and method detects and responds to failures occurring in a virtual switch. The virtual switch is formed from two or more physical switches interconnected by a Virtual Switch Link (VSL). One physical switch is elected the Master, and it executes a link aggregation protocol for the virtual switch. If the VSL fails, one of the other physical switches assumes that it should become the Master for the virtual switch, and it begins executing the link aggregation protocol. By adding information unique to the physical switches in the control packets of the link aggregation protocol, remote switches can identify when the VSL fails, and report this condition to the original Master. In response, the original Master or the new Master takes corrective action.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.