Network Controller Rerouting for Fault Tolerance in Solicited Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Solicited information handling systems face significant downtime and information loss due to the time required to establish a new session after detecting a link failure, as they rely on system-wide keep-alive or heartbeat signals that can lead to prolonged periods of communication disruption.
Innovation Solution
An information handling system with a network controller that monitors link status and reroutes communication from an active path to standby paths when a failure is detected, using agents to provide real-time link status information and selecting alternative paths to maintain communication without terminating the session.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If system-wide keep-alive or heartbeat signals are used to detect link failures, then fault detection capability is improved, but downtime and information loss increase due to the time required to establish a new session
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes multiple communication paths (primary and secondary) in advance before failure occurs. The network controller pre-configures secondary paths so that when a failure is detected, the system can immediately switch to the pre-prepared alternative path without needing to establish a new session, thus reducing downtime while maintaining reliable fault detection
Solution Approach 2:
The network controller acts as an intermediary that monitors link status and manages path switching. It detects failures through keep-alive signals and automatically reroutes communication through secondary paths, preventing the need for session re-establishment and minimizing information loss during fault transitions
2Reliability
If session termination is triggered by missed heartbeat signals, then system reliability is improved through fault detection, but productivity decreases due to the time required to re-establish sessions
Solution Approach 1:
Secondary communication paths are established and maintained in advance before failure occurs. When the network controller detects a failure through missed heartbeat signals, it immediately switches to the pre-configured secondary path, allowing communication to continue without session termination and maintaining productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous communication by having standby secondary paths ready. Upon detecting a failure in the primary path, the network controller seamlessly transitions to the secondary path, ensuring that the useful action of information communication continues uninterrupted without session re-establishment, thus maintaining productivity
3Device complexity
If traditional keep-alive mechanisms are used for fault detection, then system simplicity is maintained, but information loss increases during the period between failure detection and session re-establishment
Solution Approach 1:
The network controller pre-establishes secondary communication paths alongside the primary path using relatively simple mechanisms. When failure occurs, information can immediately switch to the pre-prepared secondary path, preventing information loss during the transition period while adding minimal complexity to the system
Solution Approach 2:
The network controller serves as an intermediary that manages the switching between primary and secondary paths. It detects failures through keep-alive signals and automatically routes information through appropriate paths, minimizing information loss during fault transitions while maintaining relatively simple system architecture
Data Source
AI summary
An information handling system is provided that uses an overlay network controller to improve fault tolerance and minimize downtime in a solicited system. The network controller may determine standby paths for the solicited communications path and reroute communications to one of the standby paths when a fault is detected in the communications path.