Fault-tolerant communications in routed networks

Abstract

A method for providing fault-tolerant network communications between a plurality of nodes for an application, including providing a plurality of initial communications pathways over a plurality of networks coupled between the plurality of nodes, receiving a data packet on a sending node from the application, the sending node being one of the plurality of nodes, the data packet being addressed by the application to an address on one of the plurality of nodes, and selecting a first selected pathway for the data packet from among the plurality of initial communications pathways where the first selected pathway is a preferred pathway.

1 . A first electronic device comprising:
 a first network adapter;   a second network adapter;   a fault tolerant driver paired with the first network adapter;   a first protocol driver coupled to the fault tolerant driver;   a second protocol driver coupled to the fault tolerant driver and paired with the second network adapter, the first electronic device configured to provide fault tolerant communications, via the fault tolerant driver, with a second electronic device based on fault tolerant sending and fault tolerant receiving;   the fault tolerant sending comprising:
 receiving, by the fault tolerant driver, out-going data via the first protocol driver; 
 selecting, by the fault tolerant driver based on a condition, a first pathway or a second pathway; 
 first routing, by the fault tolerant driver through the first pathway to the second electronic device via the first protocol driver and the first network adapter in response to selecting the first pathway, the out-going data; and 
 second routing, by the fault tolerant driver via the second pathway to the second electronic device via the first protocol driver, the second protocol driver, and the second network adapter in response to selecting the second pathway, the out-going data; and 
   the fault tolerant receiving comprising:
 first forwarding, by the fault tolerant driver to the first protocol driver in response to the fault tolerant driver receiving in-coming data from the second electronic device through the first pathway via the first network adapter, at least a portion of the in-coming data; and 
 second forwarding, by the fault tolerant driver to the first protocol driver in response to the fault tolerant driver receiving in-coming data from the second electronic device through the second pathway via the second network adapter and the second protocol driver, at least a portion of the received in-coming data. 
   
     
     
         2 . The first electronic device of  claim 1  where the out-going data is provided by an application to the protocol driver. 
     
     
         3 . The first electronic device of  claim 2  where the out-going data as provided by the application to the protocol driver is addressed by the application to the second electronic device using on a physical address of the second electronic device. 
     
     
         4 . The first electronic device of  claim 1  where the condition indicates a failure of a pathway. 
     
     
         5 . The first electronic device of  claim 4  where the failure is detected based on one or more heartbeat packets. 
     
     
         6 . The first electronic device of  claim 1  where the condition indicates a preferred pathway. 
     
     
         7 . The first electronic device of  claim 6  where the fault tolerant driver is configured to determine the preferred pathway. 
     
     
         8 . A first electronic device comprising:
 a first network adapter;   a second network adapter;   a fault tolerant driver paired with the first network adapter;   a first protocol driver coupled to the fault tolerant driver;   a second protocol driver coupled to the fault tolerant driver and paired with the second network adapter, the first electronic device configured to provide fault tolerant communications, via the fault tolerant driver, with a second electronic device based on fault tolerant sending comprising:
 receiving, by the fault tolerant driver, out-going data via the first protocol driver; 
 selecting, by the fault tolerant driver based on a condition, a first pathway or a second pathway; 
 first routing, by the fault tolerant driver through the first pathway to the second electronic device via the first protocol driver and the first network adapter in response to selecting the first pathway, the out-going data; and 
 second routing, by the fault tolerant driver via the second pathway to the second electronic device via the first protocol driver, the second protocol driver, and the second network adapter in response to selecting the second pathway, the out-going data. 
   
     
     
         9 . The first electronic device of  claim 8  where the out-going data is provided by an application to the protocol driver. 
     
     
         10 . The first electronic device of  claim 9  where the out-going data as provided by the application to the protocol driver is addressed by the application to the second electronic device using on a physical address of the second electronic device. 
     
     
         11 . The first electronic device of  claim 8  where the condition indicates a failure of a pathway. 
     
     
         12 . The first electronic device of  claim 11  where the failure is detected based on one or more heartbeat packets. 
     
     
         13 . The first electronic device of  claim 8  where the condition indicates a preferred pathway. 
     
     
         14 . The first electronic device of  claim 8  where the provided fault tolerant communications is further based on fault tolerant receiving comprising:
 first forwarding, by the fault tolerant driver to the first protocol driver in response to the fault tolerant driver receiving in-coming data from the second electronic device through a first pathway via the first network adapter, at least a portion of the in-coming data; and 
 second forwarding, by the fault tolerant driver to the first protocol driver in response to the fault tolerant driver receiving in-coming data from the second electronic device through a second pathway via the second network adapter and the second protocol driver, at least a portion of the received in-coming data. 
 
     
     
         15 . A first electronic device comprising:
 a first network adapter;   a second network adapter;   a fault tolerant driver paired with the first network adapter;   a first protocol driver coupled to the fault tolerant driver;   a second protocol driver coupled to the fault tolerant driver and paired with the second network adapter, the first electronic device configured to provide fault tolerant communications, via the fault tolerant driver, with a second electronic device based on fault tolerant receiving comprising:
 first forwarding, by the fault tolerant driver to the first protocol driver in response to the fault tolerant driver receiving in-coming data from the second electronic device through a first pathway via the first network adapter, at least a portion of the in-coming data; and 
 second forwarding, by the fault tolerant driver to the first protocol driver in response to the fault tolerant driver receiving in-coming data from the second electronic device through a second pathway via the second network adapter and the second protocol driver, at least a portion of the received in-coming data. 
   
     
     
         16 . The first electronic device of  claim 15  where some of the at least a portion of the received in-coming data is passed by the first protocol driver to an application. 
     
     
         17 . The first electronic device of  claim 15  where the provided fault tolerant communications is further based on fault tolerant sending comprising:
 receiving, by the fault tolerant driver, out-going data via the first protocol driver; 
 selecting, by the fault tolerant driver based on a condition, the first pathway or the second pathway; 
 first routing, by the fault tolerant driver through the first pathway to the second electronic device via the first protocol driver and the first network adapter in response to selecting the first pathway, the out-going data; and 
 second routing, by the fault tolerant driver via the second pathway to the second electronic device via the first protocol driver, the second protocol driver, and the second network adapter in response to selecting the second pathway, the out-going data. 
 
     
     
         18 . The first electronic device of  claim 17  where the condition indicates a failure of a pathway. 
     
     
         19 . The first electronic device of  claim 17  where the condition indicates a preferred pathway. 
     
     
         20 . The first electronic device of  claim 19  where the fault tolerant driver is configured to determine the preferred pathway.