Patent ID: 6954794
Filing Date: 2005-10-11
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for exchanging reachability information in a network cluster, the method comprising: (a) connecting first and second nodes in a cluster via local area network connections between local area network (LAN) interfaces of the first and second nodes; (b) from each LAN interface of the second node, transmitting a reachability message associating a physical Internet protocol (IP) address of the LAN interface with a virtual IP address of the second node; (c) at the first node, receiving the reachability messages and storing virtual-to-physical IP address mappings for each of the LAN interfaces associated with the second node in a first routing table; (d) at the first node, selecting one of the virtual-to-physical IP address mappings for the second node from the first routing table and storing the selected mapping in a second routing table; and (e) repeating step (b) at predetermined time intervals, and, at the first node, in response to failing to receive a reachability message for a LAN interface of the second node within one or more of the predetermined time intervals, deleting the virtual-to-physical IP address mapping for the LAN interface from the first and second routing tables.