Stand-by controller assisted failover

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016165463-A1
Application number	US-201414559321-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 3, 2014
Priority date	Dec 3, 2014
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and systems for standby controller aided failover are provided. According to one embodiment, an active control channel and an active data channel are established by an active controller with a managed device via a management protocol. A standby control channel and a standby data channel are established by a standby controller with the managed device via the management protocol. A keep-alive message is periodically sent by the standby controller to the active controller. When a response to the keep-alive message is not received by the standby controller within a predefined time, failover from the active controller to the standby controller is initiated by: (i) taking over for the active controller; and (ii) notifying the managed device to direct subsequent management protocol messages to the standby controller via the standby control channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
establishing, by an active controller, an active control channel and an active data channel with a managed device via a management protocol; establishing, by a standby controller, a standby control channel and a standby data channel with the managed device via the management protocol; periodically sending, by the standby controller, a keep-alive message to the active controller; when a response to the keep-alive message is not received by the standby controller within a predefined time, then initiating failover from the active controller to the standby controller by:
taking over, by the standby controller, for the active controller; and
notifying, by the standby controller via the standby control channel, the managed device to direct subsequent management protocol messages to the standby controller via the standby control channel.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing, by the standby controller, the managed device to synchronize its configuration with the standby network controller.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said periodically sending a keep-alive message to the active controller comprises sending the keep-alive message at a frequency of greater than once per thirty-seconds.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the managed device comprises one or a combination of a wireless access point, a switch, a gateway, a proxy, a router, a hub and a network packet management element.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said taking over for the active controller comprises causing active sessions with the active controller to be transferred from the active controller to the standby controller.

6 . A system for efficient failover comprising:
an active control channel establishment module configured at an active controller to create an active control channel with a network element; an active data channel establishment module configured at said active controller to create an active data channel with said network element; a standby control channel establishment module configured at a standby controller to create a standby control channel with said network element; a standby data channel establishment module configured at said standby controller to create a standby data channel with said network element; a message management module configured at any or both of said active controller and said standby controller to enable said standby controller to send at least one keep-alive message to said active controller; an active controller failure detection module configured at said standby controller to detect failure of said active controller due to non-response to said at least one keep-alive message for a predefined time period; an active controller notification module configured at said standby controller to notify said network element of failure of said active controller through said standby control channel; and an active takeover module configured at said standby controller to enable said standby controller to takeover as new active controller.

7 . The system of claim 7 , wherein said network element synchronizes configuration with said standby controller upon failure of said active controller.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein said network element is configured to periodically send heartbeat messages to said active controller.

9 . The system of claim 9 , wherein said heartbeat messages are sent through one or a combination of said active control channel and active data channel.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein frequency of said keep-alive messages between said standby controller and said active controller is higher than frequency of said heartbeat messages between said network element and said active controller.

11 . The system of claim 7 , wherein communications between said network element and said standby controller takes place through one or a combination of standby control channel and standby data channel.

12 . The system of claim 7 , wherein upon completion of said takeover, said standby control channel and standby data channel become new active control channel and active data channel.

13 . The system of claim 7 , wherein upon completion of said takeover, each network element using said new active controller is updated about said new active controller.

14 . The system of claim 7 , wherein said network element comprises one or a combination of access point, switch, gateway, proxy, router, hub, and network packet management element.

15 . The system of claim 7 , wherein said active takeover module is further configured to transfer active sessions from said active controller to said new active controller.

16 . A standby network controller configured to establish a standby control channel and a standby data channel with a network element, and further configured to transmit at least one keep-alive message to an active network controller, wherein once said standby network controller detects failure of said active network controller, said standby network controller notifies said network element through said standby control channel and takes over as new active network controller.

Assignees

• Fortinet Inc

Inventors

• Zhang Yong

Classifications

• H04L43/10

  Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route · CPC title

• H04L43/0817

  by checking functioning · CPC title

• H04L41/0695

  the faulty arrangement being the maintenance, administration or management system · CPC title

• H04L41/0668 Primary

  by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure · CPC title

• H04W24/04 Primary

  Arrangements for maintaining operational condition · CPC title