Patent ID: 8036102

Claim:
A computer implemented method for providing software bridge failover in a logical partition data processing system having a plurality of logical partitions that each have an operating system running therein, the computer implemented method comprising steps performed by a computer of: sending keep-alive packets onto a virtual network by a first software bridge using a given virtual adapter associated with a given partition of the plurality of logical partitions, wherein the keep-alive packet informs a second software bridge that the first software bridge is active and that failover is not necessary; monitoring for the keep-alive packets on the virtual network by the second software bridge using another given virtual adapter associated with another given partition; monitoring, by the computer, for a failure in the first software bridge executing in the given partition of the plurality of logical partitions; and responsive to detecting the failure in the first software bridge, initiating bridging of traffic by the second software bridge in place of the first software bridge, wherein the second software bridge is executing in the another given partition of the plurality of logical partitions, wherein initiating bridging of traffic by the second software bridge is initiated by: sending a limbo packet to the second software bridge alerting the second software bridge that the first software bridge is no longer bridging traffic; receiving at the second software bridge the limbo packet; and responsive to receiving the limbo packet at the second software bridge, initiating bridging of traffic by a second software bridge in the logical partition data processing system in place of the first software bridge in the logical partition data processing system; wherein the first software bridge and the second software bridge are both operable for providing a communication path from each of the plurality of logical partitions to a respective physical network adapter associated with the first software bridge and second software bridge, respectively, and wherein the failure in the first software bridge is a failure of a network physical adapter physically attached to the logical partition data processing system and associated with the given partition, wherein the given partition comprises a given virtual adapter, and wherein the another given partition comprises another given virtual adapter and another network physical adapter physically attached to the logical partition data processing system that are both used by the second software bridge, and wherein the first software bridge and the second software bridge communicate with each other within the logical partition data processing system using the given virtual adapter and the another given virtual adapter.