High availability in-service software upgrade using virtual machine instances in dual computing appliances
US8943489B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 29, 2012 |
| Grant date | Jan 27, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 17, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/45533
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Techniques are described for providing high availability during an in-service software upgrade (ISSU) of an appliance within a network device, e.g., a router, by running a pair of virtual machines on each of a primary appliance and a secondary appliance within the router. Examples of the appliances include a routing engine within a router, and a service physical interface card (PIC) within a forwarding engine of a router. An ISSU of the primary appliance may first upgrade the operating system instance of a secondary virtual machine, switch operation from a primary virtual machine to the secondary virtual machine, and then upgrade the operating system instance on the primary virtual machine. During the ISSU of the primary appliance, primary and secondary virtual machines on the secondary appliance provide high availability to the virtual machine on the primary appliance executing the original operating system.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.