Synchronizing multicast information for linecards

摘要

In a network device comprising redundant management processors and one or more linecard processors situated on one or more linecards, a linecard processor maintains multicast information that is synchronized with multicast information, or a portion thereof, maintained by an active management processor. When a switchover is performed due to which a previous standby management processor becomes the new active management processor, the switchover is performed without interrupting any multicast routing services provided by the network device. For example, a switchover may be performed in order to upgrade a linecard processor to a new software version.

主权项

1. A system comprising:
a set of ports; a first processor configurable to perform a set of multicast routing-related functions and to maintain a first routing information usable for performing the set of multicast routing-related functions; and a packet processor with associated one or more memories and a linecard processor coupled to a volatile memory; wherein the linecard processor is configurable to:
maintain a second routing information in the volatile memory based on the first routing information;program, based on the second routing information, a first memory from the associated one or more memories with a third routing information, the third routing information used by the packet processor to facilitate forwarding of a multicast packet;enable correlation information to be preserved across a reboot of the linecard processor; andupon reboot of the linecard processor:
build a fourth routing information in the volatile memory; andlink the fourth routing information with the third routing information used by the packet processor, using the correlation information.