Patent ID: 7720061

Claim:
A method comprising: performing network routing operations for a set of routing protocols with a multi-chassis router having a plurality of hierarchically arranged routing components operating as a single node within a network; receiving a request from one of the set of routing protocols to perform periodic communications with a peer network router within the network, wherein the periodic communications verify that the peer network router is operational with respect to the requesting one of the set of routing protocols; allocating responsibility for performing periodic communications for the set of routing protocols to the plurality of hierarchically arranged routing components, wherein allocating responsibility for performing periodic communications comprises selecting a first one of the plurality of hierarchically arranged routing components of the multi-chassis router to perform the periodic communications with the peer network router; prior to performing periodic communications with the peer network router, updating routing information within the multi-chassis router to install a route for the periodic communications with the peer network router, wherein the route specifies a path within the multi-chassis router from a second one of the routing components of the multi-chassis router that receives the periodic communications sent by the peer network router to the first one of the routing components of the multi-chassis router to which responsibility for performing the periodic communications has been allocated; issuing, with the first one of the routing components of the multi-chassis router via a first interface of the multi-chassis router, a request to the peer network router for a responsive periodic communication; and receiving a periodic communication from the peer network router at the second one of the routing components via a second interface of the multi-chassis router, wherein the periodic communication received at the second one of the routing components is responsive to the request for the responsive periodic communication issued by the first one of the routing components.