Patent ID: 8190720

Claim:
A method, comprising: providing a micro-kernel based network device having a micro-kernel and a set of user-level processes in different address spaces, the different address spaces including a first address space for the set of user-level processes and a second different shielded memory address space for micro-kernel operation; executing the in-service software reload of at least one of the user-level processes without a hardware reboot, wherein hardware associated with said micro-kernel based network device continues to forward network traffic during said in-service software reload, wherein the micro-kernel operates unaffected by said in-service software reload in the second shielded address space, and wherein said micro-kernel based network device preserves local checkpointed data and shared memory data during the in-service software reload; shutting down application processes running on said micro-kernel based network device gracefully; starting reload software; maintaining continuity of network traffic between said micro-kernel based network device and other network devices coupled together through a network, wherein said hardware is not reset during said in-service software reload and continues to forward said network traffic; signaling at least one of the other network devices to extend a keep alive timeout duration for an amount of time that corresponds to an anticipated duration for the in-service software reload; wherein the signaling uses an InterProcess Communication (IPC) mechanism operating the at least one other network device; and resynchronizing said micro-kernel based network device.