Patent ID: 8553532

Claim:
A network node for routing messages in a communications system, the network node comprising: at least one network interface configured to communicate messages with a plurality of other network nodes; and a microprocessor connected to the at least one network interface to send and receive messages, and configured to: operate in an active-with-peer state during which the microprocessor responds to a switchover triggering event by switching-over at least part of its message routing responsibility to a standby inter-chassis redundancy, ICR, node; operate in an active-without-peer state during which the microprocessor does not switchover routing responsibility to the standby ICR node and maintains its routing responsibility in response to the switchover triggered event; and transition from operation in the active-with-peer state to operation in the active-without-peer state in response to detecting that the standby ICR node has become or will become at least partially non-functional as a backup message router for the network node.