Patent ID: 7600214

Claim:
A network device, comprising: a central processing unit (CPU) configured to assist the network device with processing one or more data packets; tables configured to store operating state information associated with the processing one or more data packets; and a metadata module configured to store the operating state information that is non-recoverable from the tables; wherein, when the CPU becomes unavailable, the network device is configured to: continue the processing one or more data packets, update the tables with the operating state information, determine whether the operating state information stored in the tables is non-recoverable operating state information, and update the metadata module with the non-recoverable operating state information based on determination; and wherein, when the CPU becomes available, the CPU is configured to: retrieve the recoverable operating state information from the tables, and if the recoverable operating state information retrieved from the tables is incomplete, retrieve the non-recoverable operating state information from the metadata module.