Patent ID: 7376133
Filing Date: 2008-05-20
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A system for receiving information in a network using a redundant switching architecture, comprising: a first control element for executing a protocol stack having an internetwork layer; a first device driver associated with said first control element, said first device driver for receiving a first instance of a communications frame from a second control element via a first switching plane and for decapsulating the first instance of the communications frame; a second device driver associated with said first control element, said second device driver for receiving a second instance of said communications frame from said second control element via a second switching plane and for decapsulating the second instance of the communications frame; and a virtual device driver associated with said first control element, said virtual device driver being positioned in communication with said internetwork layer, first device driver, and second device driver, wherein said virtual device driver operates to map one of said first and second instances of said communications frame received from said second control element to said internetwork layer and to retain one of said communications frame instances received via said first switching plane and said second switching plane based on an indicator in at least one of said decapsulated communications frame instances.