SEA FAILOVER MECHANISM WITH MINIMIZED PACKET LOSSES

摘要

Provided are techniques for active SEA learning about a client LPAR MAC addresses via address resolution protocol (ARP) packets received on a virtual interface (of the active SEA). Any new client MAC addresses learned on the active SEA are sent to the inactive SEA via a control channel. When SEA failover happens, as the previously inactive SEA is about to become active, it will first send out RARP (reverse ARP) packets with the client MAC addresses as the source MAC addresses respectively. This effectively informs the switch connected to the previously inactive SEA that these client MAC addresses are to be routed through this switch port; the client MAC addresses saved on the switch connected to the previously active SEA are cleared as a result.