Switching device and switching method for network connections

Abstract

This invention includes a switching device and a switching method for network connections. The switching device sets a connection timeout period and a connection verification period which is shorter than and falls within the connection timeout period. When the connection verification period expires, the switching device determines the connection status between itself and a first network device. When the connection status is determined to be invalid, the switching device switches the connection target of a user device which previously communicated with the first network device via the switching device from the first network device to a second network device with valid connection status.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a switching device and method, and more specifically, the present invention relates to a network connection switching device and method. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Traditional network connection switching devices may have a connection timeout mechanism. This mechanism can interrupt and / or clear the connection data of network devices that do not respond after a certain period (i.e., the connection timeout period), in order to avoid wasting network connection resources on these unresponsive network devices. However, before the connection timeout period ends (i.e., during the connection timeout period), some network devices may have already disconnected. In this case, if user devices that originally communicated with these network devices through the network connection switching device continue to transmit data to these network devices, the transmitted data may be lost. In view of this, how to avoid the above situation is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in the field of this invention. [Summary of the Invention]

[0003] To overcome the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a network connection switching device. The network connection switching device may include a processor and a transceiver electrically connected to the processor. The processor can be used to set a connection timeout period and a connection confirmation period, wherein the connection confirmation period is less than and falls within the connection timeout period. The transceiver can be used to establish a first connection between the network connection switching device and a first network device, so that a user device can communicate with the first network device through the network connection switching device. The processor can also be used to determine a connection status of the first connection when the connection confirmation period ends. The processor can also be used to, when determining that the connection status of the first connection is invalid, switch a connection of the user device from the first network device to a second network device through the transceiver, so that the user device communicates with the second network device through the network connection switching device.

[0004] To overcome the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention also provides a network connection switching method. This network connection switching method can be executed by a network connection switching device, and the method may include: setting a connection timeout period and a connection confirmation period, wherein the connection confirmation period is less than and falls within the connection timeout period; when the connection confirmation period ends, determining the connection status of a first connection; and when the connection status of the first connection is determined to be invalid, switching a connection object of the user device from the first network device to a second network device, so that the user device communicates with the second network device through the network connection switching device.

[0005] As described above, the present invention (including a network connection switching device and a network connection switching method) establishes an additional continuous confirmation mechanism during the connection timeout period. This allows for the early detection of disconnected network devices (such as the first network device mentioned above) before the connection timeout period ends (i.e., during the connection timeout period), and early switching of the user device's connection from the disconnected network device (such as the first network device mentioned above) to another network device with a valid connection (such as the second network device mentioned above). In other words, through the above operation, a user device that was originally communicating with the disconnected first network device through the network connection switching device can be switched to communicating with the second network device with a valid connection through the network connection switching device in advance, thereby preventing the user device from continuing to transmit data to the disconnected first network device. Accordingly, the present invention effectively improves the above-mentioned technical problem.

[0006] The above content is not intended to limit the present invention, but only to summarize the technical problems that the present invention can solve, the technical means that can be adopted, and the technical effects that can be achieved, so as to enable those skilled in the art to have a preliminary understanding of the present invention. The following will illustrate the implementation of the present invention with reference to embodiments and drawings.

Implementation Method

[0007] The following embodiments are not intended to limit the invention to a particular environment, application, structure, process, or situation. The accompanying drawings are merely illustrative of the embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, elements not directly related to the invention are omitted. The dimensions of the elements and the proportions between them are also illustrative and are not intended to limit the invention. Unless otherwise specified, the same element symbols in the following text refer to the same elements.

[0008] The adoption of such terms as "one" or "one" is not a limitation of quantity, and shall be regarded as an implementation containing a plural number of identical referents. Terms such as “contains”, “includes”, “has” are used to illustrate the existence of the features, integers, steps, operations, components, components and / or groups stated thereafter, but does not preclude the existence or additional accessibility of one or more other additional features, integers, steps, operations, components, components and / or groups, etc. The terms ” and / or ” are adopted to denote any or various combinations of permutations in one or more related enumerated items. The use of terms such as "first", "second", "third" to describe the features, integers, steps, operations, components, components and / or groups stated thereafter is not intended to limit the order of these described objects, but only to distinguish the described objects.

[0009] A schematic diagram of a network connection exchange device according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. However, in certain embodiments, in addition to the processor 11 as well as the transceiver 13 , the network connection switching device 1 may additionally comprise a reservoir 15 electrically connected to the processor 11 . The electrical connections may be direct electrical connections (i.e., not connected to each other through other components) or indirect electrical connections (i.e., connected to each other through other components). The network connection switching device 1 may be a variety of network connection auxiliary devices that support the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP), such as, but not limited to, a network switch. By exchanging devices 1 through a network connection, one or more user devices U1 may each communicate with various types of network devices (e.g., a first network device D1, a second network device D2, and a user device U1 shown in FIG. For example, the first network device D1 as well as the second network device D2 may each be, but are not limited to, a router or server. For example, the user device U1 may be, but is not limited to, a desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, or various connected devices.

[0010] Processor 11 may include programmable special integrated circuits with computing, storage, output / input capabilities, and accepting and processing various coded instructions to perform various logical operations and arithmetic operations and output corresponding operation results. Processor 11 may be programmed to interpret various instructions and perform various tasks or programs, thereby accomplishing various processing described in this disclosure. For example, Processor 11 may be, but is not limited to: a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a Microprocessor, a Microcontroller, or a combination thereof.

[0011] Transceiver 13 may contain a transmitter and a receiver for communication with various network devices. In the case of wireless communications, the transceiver 13 may include, but is not limited to, communication elements such as antennas, amplifiers, modulators, demodulators, detectors, analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, and so on. In the case of wired communications, transceiver 13 may be, for example, but not limited to: a gigabit Ethernet transceiver, a gigabit interface converter (GBIC), a small form-factor pluggable (SFP) transceiver, a small form-factor pluggable (SFP) transceiver pluggable (XFP) transceiver), etc.

[0012] The storage 15 may be used to store data generated by the network connection exchange device 1, and data transmitted to the network connection exchange device 1 by an external device or user device U1. For example, the reservoir 15 may contain first-level memory (also known as main memory or internal memory), and the processor 11 may directly read the instruction set stored within the first-level memory and execute these instruction sets when needed. The storage 15 may also contain a second level of memory (also known as external memory or auxiliary memory), which may transmit the stored data to the first level of memory via a data buffer. Second-level memory may be, for example, but not limited to: hard disks, optical discs and other storage media. The storage 15 may also contain a third level of memory, such as a plug-in storage device, or a drive. Depending on the demand, the reservoir 15 may contain a first stage of memory, a second stage of memory, and / or a third stage of memory.

[0013] The transceiver 13 can be used to establish connections between the network connection switching device 1 and multiple network devices, and to transmit various packets. Taking Figure 1 as an example, the transceiver 13 can be used to establish a first connection C1 between the network connection switching device 1 and the first network device D1, so that the user device U1 can communicate with the first network device D1 through the network connection switching device 1 (that is, the first path R1). Similarly, the transceiver 13 can also be used to establish a second connection C2 between the network connection switching device 1 and the second network device D2, so that the user device U1 can communicate with the second network device D2 through the network connection switching device 1 (that is, the second path R2).

[0014] In some embodiments, the storage 15 can be used to store a monitoring list L1, and the processor 11 can be used to confirm the connection status of a plurality of network devices via the transceiver 13 according to the monitoring list L1. Taking FIG1 as an example, assuming that the monitoring list L1 includes a first network device D1 and a second network device D2, the processor 11 can confirm the connection status of the first network device D1 (that is, the connection status of the first connection C1) and the connection status of the second network device D2 (that is, the connection status of the second connection C2) via the transceiver 13. The monitoring list L1 may include a custom list and / or an automatically generated list, wherein the network devices listed in the custom list are set by the user of the network connection switching device 1, and the network devices listed in the automatically generated list are automatically generated by the processor 11 through machine learning or by records transmitted in packets.

[0015] In some embodiments, the storage 15 can also be used to store connection information M1 of one of the network connection switching devices 1. The connection information M1 may include the connection status and connection data between the network connection switching device 1 and the network devices it monitors. Taking FIG1 as an example, the connection information M1 may include the connection status and connection data between the network connection switching device 1 and the first network device D1, and the connection status and connection data between the network connection switching device 1 and the second network device D2. The processor 11 can also be used to update the connection information M1 in real time according to the connection status of the network devices monitored by the network connection switching device 1. Taking FIG1 as an example, when it is determined that the connection status of the first connection C1 is invalid, or when it is determined that the connection status of the second connection C2 is invalid, the processor 11 can update the connection information M1 accordingly. Optionally, the processor 11 can also be used to notify the user device U1 of the updated connection information M1 in real time through the transceiver 13.

[0016] The following description, in conjunction with Figures 1 and 2, explains how the network connection switching device 1 confirms the connection status of multiple network devices and the corresponding subsequent processing. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the overall operation of the network connection switching device 1 shown in Figure 1. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the processor 11 can be used to preset a connection timeout period and a connection confirmation period, wherein the connection confirmation period is less than and falls within the connection timeout period. The lengths of the connection timeout period and the connection confirmation period can be adjusted according to the needs of different systems. For example, the processor 11 can set the connection timeout period and the connection confirmation period to 300 seconds and 150 seconds respectively (or 240 seconds and 180 seconds, 420 seconds and 60 seconds, or other settings). Alternatively, the processor 11 can first set the connection timeout period and a time difference, and then set the connection confirmation period through the connection timeout period and the time difference. For example, processor 11 can first set the connection timeout period to 300 seconds and the time difference to 10 seconds (or 20 seconds, 50 seconds, 100 seconds, or other settings), and then set the connection confirmation period to 290 seconds (300 seconds minus 10 seconds). Depending on the needs of different systems, processor 11 can pre-set the same connection timeout period and connection confirmation period for all monitored network devices, or pre-set different connection timeout periods and connection confirmation periods.

[0017] After setting the connection timeout period and connection confirmation period, the processor 11 can perform various processes shown in FIG2 for each monitored network device. More specifically, firstly, the processor 11 can start the connection timeout period and connection confirmation period (labeled as process 201 and process 203) simultaneously or sequentially. If started sequentially, the processor 11 can determine how long after starting the connection confirmation period should start, depending on the needs of different systems.

[0018] After the connection timeout period and connection confirmation period, when the connection confirmation period ends, the processor 11 can simultaneously or sequentially check the connection status of all monitored network devices (labeled as process 205). Next, the processor 11 can determine whether the connection status of a specific network device (hereinafter referred to as the "target network device") among the monitored network devices is valid (labeled as process 207). If the processor 11 determines that the connection status of the target network device is valid, the processor 11 can reset the connection timeout period (labeled as process 209). If the processor 11 determines that the connection status of the target network device is invalid, the processor 11 can further determine, according to the monitoring list L1, whether there is at least one network device with a valid connection status capable of connection exchange (labeled as process 211). The determination method may include, but is not limited to, traceroute commands, sending Ping commands, and Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) packets.

[0019] If the processor 11 determines that there is at least one network device with a valid connection status in the monitoring list L1, the processor 11 can further perform connection switching processing (labeled as processing 213) to switch the invalid connection path to a valid connection path. For example, in some embodiments, the connection switching processing may include, but is not limited to: updating the connection information M1 stored in the storage 15, updating the monitoring list L1 stored in the storage 15, and / or notifying the user device U1 of the updated connection information M1. For another example, updating the connection information M1 may include, but is not limited to: a routing table, an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) table, and / or a forwarding table.

[0020] After processing 211, the processor 11 can also be used to reset the connection timeout period (marked as processing 209). Regarding the aforementioned reset of the connection timeout period, the processor 11 can update the current connection timeout period to one of the following: maintain the current connection timeout period; increase the current connection timeout period by a preset time length; and decrease the current connection timeout period by a preset time length. For example, assuming the current connection timeout period is 300 seconds, the processor can set the length of the next connection timeout period to 300 seconds (i.e., maintain the current connection timeout period), 400 seconds (i.e., increase the current connection timeout period by a preset time length of 100 seconds), or 250 seconds (i.e., decrease the current connection timeout period by a preset time length of 50 seconds). After processing 213, once the processor 11 successfully swaps the invalid path with a valid path, it can return to processing 201 to proceed with the next connection processing flow and continuously verify the connection status of the network device.

[0021] Referring again to Figure 2, if the processor 11 determines that there are no network devices with valid connection status in the monitoring list L1 that can perform connection switching, the processor 11 can perform connection timeout processing (marked as processing 215). Specifically, the processor 11 will wait until the current connection timeout period ends, and then update the connection data M1 to delete the connection information M1 of the network devices with invalid connection status.

[0022] The aforementioned mechanism can effectively solve the problem of data loss. Taking Figure 1 as an example, suppose user device U1 originally communicates with the first network device D1 with a valid connection status through network connection switching device 1 (that is, through the first path R1). When the connection confirmation period ends, processor 11 confirms the connection status of the first network device D1 according to the monitoring list L1. If processor 11 confirms that the connection status of the first connection C1 is invalid, it can update the connection information M1 and switch the connection object of user device U1 from the first network device D1 to the second network device D2 with a valid connection status, so that user device U1 communicates with the second network device D2 through network connection switching device 1 (that is, through the second path R2). In other words, by changing the first path R1 to the second path R2, network connection switching device 1 can prevent user device U1 from continuing to transmit data to the first network device D1 whose connection status has become invalid. At the end of the connection confirmation period, if the processor 11 confirms that the connection status of the first connection C1 is invalid, but the network connection switching device 1 has not yet established the second connection C2 with the second network device D2, the processor 11 can first establish the second connection C2 with the second network device D2 through the transceiver 13, and then switch the connection object of the user device U1 from the first network device D1 to the second network device D2 where the connection status is valid.

[0023] After the processor 11 successfully switches the connection object of the user device U1 from the first network device D1 to the second network device D2, the processor 11 will restart the connection timeout period and the connection confirmation period, and continuously confirm the connection status of the plurality of network devices to ensure that the object communicating with the user device U1 is a network device with a valid connection status.

[0024] The aforementioned mechanism can still function even in cases where network connection switching protocols are incompatible. Taking Figure 1 as an example, assume that the first network device D1 and the second network device D2 support a network connection switching protocol, such as the First Hop Redundancy Protocol, but network connection switching device 1 does not support this protocol. More specifically, assume that the first network device D1 acts as the primary router for user device U1, and the second network device D2 acts as the backup router for user device U1. According to the first-hop redundancy protocol, when the first network device D1 fails, the second network device D2 will replace the first network device D1 as the main router of the user device U1. At the end of the connection confirmation period, the processor 11 determines the connection status of the network devices, updates the connection information M1, and notifies the user device U1 of the updated connection information M1. When the first network device D1 recovers, the first network device D1 will replace the second network device D2 as the main router of the user device U1, and the second network device D2 will again act as the backup router of the user device U1. At this time, the processor 11 will determine the connection status of the network devices at the end of the connection confirmation period, update the connection information M1 again, and notify the user device U1 of the updated connection information M1. Although the network connection switch 1, which does not support the first-hop redundancy protocol, will not automatically obtain the exchange information between the first network device D1 and the second network device D2, it can still promptly determine whether the current primary router of user device U1 is the first network device D1 or the second network device D2 through the above mechanism, and notify user device U1 when the connection of the network device fails. Furthermore, when the first network device D1 is functioning normally, when the second network device D2 fails, or when the second network device D2 recovers from failure, the network connection switch 1 can also promptly confirm the status of the second network device D2 through the above mechanism and promptly notify user device U1.

[0025] In some embodiments, the processor 11 may be used to set the Hello Time defined in the first-hop redundancy protocol as the length of the connection confirmation period. For example, when the first-hop redundancy protocol defines the Hello Time between the first network device D1 and the second network device D2 as 3 seconds, the processor 11 may also set the length of the connection confirmation period to 3 seconds.

[0026] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a network connection switching method according to the present invention. Referring to Figure 3, the network connection switching method 3 can be executed by a network connection switching device (such as, but not limited to, the aforementioned network connection switching device 1), and the network connection switching method 3 can include the following steps: setting a connection timeout period and a connection confirmation period, wherein the connection confirmation period is less than and falls within the connection timeout period (marked as step 31); when the connection confirmation period ends, determining the connection status of a first connection with a first network device (marked as step 32); and when determining that the connection status of the first connection is invalid, switching a connection object of a user device from the first network device to a second network device, so that the user device communicates with the second network device through the network connection switching device (marked as step 33).

[0027] In some embodiments of the network connection switching method 3, the network connection switching device may store connection information of one of the network connection switching devices, and the connection information may include a routing table, an address resolution protocol table, or a forwarding table. Optionally, in order to enable the user device to obtain the connection status and connection data of the network device, in some embodiments of the network connection switching method 3, the network connection switching method 3 may further include the following steps: when it is determined that the connection status of the first connection is invalid, update the connection information and notify the user device of the updated connection information.

[0028] In some embodiments of the network connection switching method 3, the network connection switching device may be a network switch.

[0029] In some embodiments of the network connection switching method 3, the first network device and the second network device may each be a router or a server.

[0030] In order to continuously monitor the network device, in some embodiments of the network connection switching method 3, the network connection switching method 3 may further include the following steps: when it is determined that the connection status of the first connection is valid, the connection timeout period is reset.

[0031] To efficiently and precisely manage the network device to be monitored, in certain embodiments of the network connection exchange method 3, the network connection exchange device may store a monitoring list, and the network connection exchange method 3 may also include the following steps: Confirm the connection status of the plural network device according to the monitoring list, the plural network device containing the first network device and the second network device. In these embodiments, the monitoring list may comprise a custom list and / or an auto-generated list, wherein the network devices listed in the custom list may be self-configured by the user of the network connection exchange device, and the network devices listed in the auto-generated list may be automatically generated by the network connection exchange device via machine learning.

[0032] In certain embodiments of the network connection exchange method 3, the first network device and the second network device support a network connection exchange protocol, and the network connection exchange device does not support the network connection exchange protocol. For example, the network connection exchange protocol may be, but is not limited to, a first-hop redundant protocol. In addition, optionally, the network connection switching device may set the greeting time defined by the first hop redundancy protocol to the length of time during that connection acknowledgment.

[0033] Each embodiment of the network connection exchange method 3 will essentially correspond to at least one embodiment of the network connection exchange device 1 . Accordingly, in accordance with the above description for the network connection exchange device 1 , a person with usual knowledge in the technical field of the present invention is able to fully understand and implement all corresponding embodiments of the network connection exchange method 3 , even though each embodiment of the network connection exchange method 3 is not detailed above.

[0034] The above embodiments are merely examples to illustrate the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the invention. Any other embodiments resulting from modifications, alterations, adjustments, integrations in respect of the foregoing embodiments, as long as they are inconceivable to those with usual knowledge in the technical field to which the invention belongs, are covered under the protection of the invention. The scope of protection of the invention shall be governed by the scope of the patent applied for. [Brief explanation of the diagram]

[0035] A schematic diagram of a network connection exchange device according to the present invention.

[0036] FIG.

[0037] 3 is a schematic diagram of a network connection exchange method according to the present invention.

Claims

1. A network connection switching device, comprising: a processor configured to set a connection timeout period and a connection confirmation period, and to simultaneously or sequentially activate the connection timeout period and the connection confirmation period, wherein, The connection confirmation period is less than and falls within the connection timeout period; and a transceiver, electrically connected to the processor, is used to establish a first connection between the network connection switch and a first network device, so that a user device can communicate with the first network device through the network connection switch; wherein the processor is further used to: determine the connection status of the first connection when the connection confirmation period ends; and when the connection status of the first connection is determined to be invalid, switch the connection object of the user device from the first network device to a second network device through the transceiver, so that the user device can communicate with the second network device through the network connection switch, and restart the connection timeout period and the connection confirmation period.

2. The network connection switching apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a memory electrically connected to the processor, wherein, The storage device is used to store connection information of one of the network connection switching devices, and the connection information includes a routing table, an address resolution protocol table, or a forwarding table.

3. The network connection switching apparatus as described in claim 2, wherein, The processor is also used to: when it is determined that the connection status of the first connection is invalid, update the connection information of the network connection switching device, and notify the user device of the updated connection information through the transceiver.

4. The network connection switching apparatus as described in claim 2, wherein, The network connection switching device is a network switch.

5. The network connection switching apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein, The first network device and the second network device are each a router or a server.

6. The network connection switching apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein, The processor is also used to: reset the connection timeout period when it is determined that the connection status of the first connection is valid.

7. The network connection switching apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein, It also includes a memory electrically connected to the processor, wherein: the memory is used to store a watch list; and the processor is further used to: based on the watch list, confirm the connection status of a plurality of network devices via the transceiver, the plurality of network devices including the first network device and the second network device.

8. The network connection switching apparatus as described in claim 7, wherein, The monitoring list contains a custom list.

9. The network connection switching apparatus as described in claim 8, wherein, The monitoring list also includes an automatically generated list.

10. The network connection switching apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein, The first network device and the second network device support a network connection switching protocol, but the network connection switching device does not support the network connection switching protocol.

11. The network connection switching apparatus as described in claim 10, wherein, The network connection switching protocol is a first-hop redundancy protocol, and the processor sets the greeting time defined by the first-hop redundancy protocol as the length of the connection confirmation period.

12. A network connection switching method, executed by a network connection switching device, the network connection switching method comprising: setting a connection timeout period and a connection confirmation period, wherein, The connection confirmation period is less than and falls within the connection timeout period; the connection timeout period and the connection confirmation period are started simultaneously or sequentially; when the connection confirmation period ends, the connection status of a first connection with a first network device is determined; and when the connection status of the first connection is determined to be invalid, a connection object of a user device is switched from the first network device to a second network device, so that the user device communicates with the second network device through the network connection switching device, and the connection timeout period and the connection confirmation period are restarted.

13. The network connection switching method as described in claim 12, wherein, The network connection switch stores connection information of one of the network connection switches, and the connection information includes a routing table, an address resolution protocol table, or a forwarding table.

14. The network connection switching method as described in claim 13 further includes: when it is determined that the connection status of the first connection is invalid, updating the connection information and notifying the user device of the updated connection information.

15. The network connection switching method as described in claim 13, wherein, The network connection switching device is a network switch.

16. The network connection switching method as described in claim 12, wherein, The first network device and the second network device are each a router or a server.

17. The network connection switching method as described in claim 12 further includes: resetting the connection timeout period when it is determined that the connection status of the first connection is valid.

18. The network connection switching method as described in claim 12, wherein, The network connection switching device stores a monitoring list, and the network connection switching method further includes: confirming the connection status of a plurality of network devices according to the monitoring list, the plurality of network devices including the first network device and the second network device.

19. The network connection switching method as described in claim 18, wherein, The monitoring list contains a custom list.

20. The network connection switching method as described in claim 19, wherein, The monitoring list also includes an automatically generated list.

21. The network connection switching method as described in claim 12, wherein, The first network device and the second network device support a network connection switching protocol, but the network connection switching device does not support the network connection switching protocol.

22. The network connection switching method as described in claim 21, wherein, The network connection switching protocol is a first-hop redundancy protocol, and the network connection switching device sets the greeting time defined by the first-hop redundancy protocol as the length of the connection confirmation period.

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