Patent ID: 9100274
Filing Date: 2015-08-04
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A network device comprising: a control unit operable to provide a plurality of backup virtual routers for respective groups of redundant virtual routers, each of the groups of redundant routers having a respective master virtual routers executing on a second network device; and an enhanced virtual router redundancy protocol (VRRP) unit executing within each of the plurality of backup virtual routers, wherein at least a first one of the groups of redundant virtual routers is configured as an active VRRP group in which the backup virtual router tracks an operational state of the master virtual router for the active VRRP group by processing VRRP packets received from the respective master virtual router, wherein at least a second one of the groups of redundant virtual routers is configured as an inherit VRRP group in which the backup virtual router uses the operational state of the master virtual router of the active VRRP group as an operation state for the master virtual router of the inherit group, without processing VRRP packets from the master virtual router of the inherit VRRP group, and wherein, responsive to failure of the master virtual router of the active VRRP group, the backup virtual router of the inherit group sends a VRRP packet having a type other than type 1 to one or more other virtual routers via a switch, the VRRP packet comprising a source MAC address that is the media access control (MAC) address of the failed master virtual router.