Patent ID: 8578007
Filing Date: 2013-11-05
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method, comprising: executing a software reload on a network device, wherein hardware associated with the network device continues to forward network traffic during the software reload, wherein a kernel of the network device operates unaffected in a protected address space, and wherein the kernel preserves local checkpointed and shared memory data; shutting down application processes running on the network device gracefully; maintaining continuity of network traffic between the network device and another network device coupled to the network device through a network, wherein the hardware of the network device is not reset during the software reload and continues to forward the network traffic; and signaling the another network device to extend a keep alive timeout duration for an amount of time that corresponds to an anticipated duration for the software reload; wherein the shutting down further comprising: if the software reload is in response to a software upgrade that includes installation of a new software: notifying pre-determined set of processes of the software reload; terminating all application processes running on the network device except application processes needed for installation of the new software and server processes; loading the new software into memory of the network device; and terminating the application processes needed for loading the new software; if the software reload is in response to a failure recovery: terminating client processes; and terminating server processes.