Cantor Colburn LLP
Failover mechanism with minimized packet losses
Provided are techniques for implementing shared Ethernet adapter (SEA) failover, including receiving a first ARP packet at a first SEA coupled to a first switch; parsing, by the first SEA, a first MAC address and VLAN ID (VID) corresponding to the first ARP packet; transmitting the first MAC address and VID to a second SEA coupled to a second switch; detecting the first SEA has transitioned from a primary configuration to an inactive configuration and the second SEA has transitioned from a backup configuration to the primary configuration; and responsive to the detecting, transmitting a reverse ARP packet to the second switch notifying the second switch that the first SEA has transitioned to an inactive configuration and that the second SEA has transitioned to an active configuration; and configuring the first switch to forward any subsequent packets to the second switch rather than the first SEA.
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
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Juliet M.
Kim