Standby redundancy in IMA

摘要

An interface apparatus includes first and second devices, each having a series of ports for connection to a common packet transfer bus associated with a controller. The devices operate in parallel and are configured so that when one is in an active mode the other is in a warm stand-by mode ready to become active in the event of failure of the active device. The ports of the device in the active mode communicate normally with the controller to initiate transfer of the packets over the packet transfer bus. The ports of the device in the standby mode are inoperative to communicate with the controller to initiate packet transfer, but otherwise operate normally so as to be ready for immediate activation in the event of failure of the device in the active mode.