Abstract: Systems and methods for increasing the speed with which a network device can process “heartbeat” packets that are transmitted between the network device and its peers to verify that the communication links between them are active, or to detect when the communication links go down (i.e., are inactive). Received heartbeat packets are processed primarily by a switching application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) rather than a CPU of the network device. The switching ASIC identifies heartbeat sessions corresponding to received heartbeat packets and resets aging timers for these sessions if the timers have not already expired. The reduced processing and faster timing mechanism of the switching ASIC enables the network device to accommodate spikes in the received packet rate.

Abstract: Systems and methods for increasing the speed with which a network device can process “heartbeat” packets that are transmitted between the network device and its peers to verify that the communication links between them are active, or to detect when the communication links go down (i.e., are inactive). Received heartbeat packets are processed primarily by a switching application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) rather than a CPU of the network device. The switching ASIC identifies heartbeat sessions corresponding to received heartbeat packets and resets aging timers for these sessions if the timers have not already expired. The reduced processing and faster timing mechanism of the switching ASIC enables the network device to accommodate spikes in the received packet rate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a network element that configures a fault detection service on a multi-link group of a network element is described. In this embodiment, the network element starts the fault detection service on a first link of the multi-link group. The network element further configures a first packet for the fault detection service and transmits the first packet on the first link. The network element additionally receives the first packet and determines if the first packet was received on the first link. If the first packet was received on a different link, the network element configures a second packet by modifying a packet characteristic of the first packet and transmits the second packet on the first link. If the first packet was received on the first link, the network element marks the fault detection service for the first link as converged.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a network element that configures a fault detection service is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the network element starts a fault detection service for the link on each of a first supervisor and a second supervisor of the network element. In addition, the first supervisor is active and the second supervisor is standby. The network element further saves a state for the fault detection service of the second supervisor. The network element additionally, and in response to a failover from the first supervisor to the second supervisor, continues the fault detection service of the second supervisor, wherein this fault detection service is active and sends fault detection packets on the link.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a network element that configures a fault detection service is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the network element starts a fault detection service for the link on each of a first supervisor and a second supervisor of the network element. In addition, the first supervisor is active and the second supervisor is standby. The network element further saves a state for the fault detection service of the second supervisor. The network element additionally, and in response to a failover from the first supervisor to the second supervisor, continues the fault detection service of the second supervisor, wherein this fault detection service is active and sends fault detection packets on the link.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a network element that configures a fault detection service is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the network element starts a fault detection service for the link on each of a first supervisor and a second supervisor of the network element. In addition, the first supervisor is active and the second supervisor is standby. The network element further saves a state for the fault detection service of the second supervisor. The network element additionally, and in response to a failover from the first supervisor to the second supervisor, continues the fault detection service of the second supervisor, wherein this fault detection service is active and sends fault detection packets on the link.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a network element that configures a fault detection service on a multi-link group of a network element is described. In this embodiment, the network element starts the fault detection service on a first link of the multi-link group. The network element further configures a first packet for the fault detection service and transmits the first packet on the first link. The network element additionally receives the first packet and determines if the first packet was received on the first link. If the first packet was received on a different link, the network element configures a second packet by modifying a packet characteristic of the first packet and transmits the second packet on the first link. If the first packet was received on the first link, the network element marks the fault detection service for the first link as converged.