Patent ID: 7483370

Claim:
A method for hitless switch management module failover, the method comprising: (a) at a first switch management module in a switch, operating in a master mode, wherein operating in the master mode includes: (i) performing packet forwarding and participating in network protocols; (ii) maintaining packet forwarding and protocol state information based on step (i); and (iii) communicating the packet forwarding and protocol state information to a second switch management module operating in a slave mode, wherein the packet forwarding and protocol state information is associated with a state in which the first switch management module last operated correctly; and (b) at the second switch management module in the switch, operating in the slave mode, wherein operating in the slave mode includes: (i) continuously monitoring the operational state of the first switch management module; (ii) receiving the packet forwarding and protocol state information from the first switch management module; and (iii) in response to detecting failure of the first switch management module, switching to the master mode and resuming network protocol operation from the state in which the first switch management module last operated correctly by injecting the received packet forwarding and protocol state information into one or more subsystems of the second switch management module associated with performing packet forwarding and participating in network protocols.