Patent ID: 8423817

Claim:
A method, comprising: detecting a fault associated with a network element including at least a processing module, a fault detector module and a communication module wherein said fault detector module determines if said processing module is in a latched-up or un-responsive condition and if not, said communication module communicates other than said condition to said network by sending a plurality of periodically-transmitted alive signals from said network element while said network element is in proper working, condition and if so, said communication module communicates said condition to said network by responding to receipt of a plurality of pinging request signals transmitted to said network element in response to not transmitting said alive signals for a predetermined period of time; receiving a reset signal in response to the fault detection; storing a new image of an operating system of the network element into memory associated with the network element in response to receiving the reset signal; rebooting the network element; and loading the stored new image of the operating system from the memory associated with the network element.