Patent ID: 7751311

Claim:
A method, comprising: receiving, at a network element comprising an active transport protocol process coupled to a standby transport protocol process, a request to configure a first transport layer connection maintained at the active transport protocol process for stateful switchover; wherein the active transport protocol process and the standby transport protocol process implement transmission control protocol (TCP); receiving a first event associated with the first transport layer connection wherein the first event comprises a TCP SYN segment; only in response to determining that a request to configure the first transport layer connection for stateful switchover was received: performing, at the active transport protocol process, one or more security checks on the TCP SYN segment; establishing completely at the active transport protocol process the first connection without informing the standby transport protocol process, as a result of receiving the first event; creating a first message containing a copy of a TCP control block, as a result of receiving the first event; sending, to the standby transport protocol process at the active transport protocol process, the first message only if the TCP SYN segment passes the one or more security checks; creating at the standby transport protocol process a second connection that replicates the first transport layer connection and uses the TCP control block copy, as a result of receiving the first message; receiving a second event associated with the first transport layer connection; only in response to determining that a request to configure the first transport layer connection for stateful switchover was received: creating a second message containing replicated event information based on the second received event, wherein the second message includes a valid header, correct length, and dummy data; sending the second message to the standby transport protocol process; and processing the second message at the standby transport protocol process, wherein the standby transport protocol process replicates state information for the first connection; receiving a third event associated with a third transport layer connection maintained at the active transport protocol process; and in response to determining that a request to configure the third transport layer connection for stateful switchover was not received, processing the third event without sending any message to the standby transport protocol process.