Patent ID: 9031076
Filing Date: 2015-05-12
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a data link between a first station and a second station, the method comprising: selecting, at the first station, wherein the first station includes a first device and a second device and wherein the first station is configured to select either the first device or the second device for transmission on the data link of outbound data packets to the second station, the first device for transmission of the outbound data packets on the data link to the second station, wherein the outbound data packets have respective sequence numbers and wherein there is no communication between the first device and the second device of the outbound data packets; receiving, at the first and second devices, at least one of a plurality of inbound data packets from the second station via the data link, the inbound data packets having respective acknowledgement sequence numbers relating to the respective sequence numbers of outbound data packets received at the second station, wherein there is no communication between the first device and the second device of the plurality of inbound data packets from the second station; selecting the second device for transmission of the outbound data packets on the data link to the second station in dependence on a status indication relating to the first device, wherein the status indication indicates a failure of the first device; and transmitting, after the status indication indicates the failure of the first device, an outbound data packet from the second device having a sequence number determined from a first acknowledgement sequence number, the first acknowledgement sequence number being the acknowledgement sequence number of the at least one of the plurality of inbound data packets received from the second station in response to an outbound data packet transmitted from the first device, wherein the sequence number for the outbound data packet transmitted from the second device is determined after the status indication indicates the failure of the first device; and wherein the sequence number for the outbound data packet transmitted from the second device is determined without communication between the second device and the first device.