Efficient fail over to backup link
A system and method for efficient fast failover of a primary link to a secondary link comprising monitoring an amount of user packets on said primary link and sending synthetic packets on said secondary link at a predetermined rate based on said amount of user packets wherein said predetermined rate is changed as a function of change in said amount of user packets.
1 . A method for managing synthetic packet transmission on a backup link, the method comprising:
determining a first rate of data packets on a primary link;
based at least in part on the first rate of data packets:
determining a first synthetic packet rate, wherein the backup link is configured to be activated to carry data traffic in case of a degradation of the primary link; and
keeping the backup link alive by sending, on the backup link, first synthetic packets at the determined first synthetic packet rate; and
determining a second rate of data packets on the primary link, wherein the second rate of data packets is different from the first rate of data packets;
based at least in part on the determined second rate of data packets on the primary link:
determining a second synthetic packet rate different from the first synthetic packet rate; and
sending, on the backup link, second synthetic packets at the determined second synthetic packet rate, wherein the second synthetic packet rate is determined as a function of the second rate of data packets on the primary link.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the primary link is a fixed link and the backup link is a wireless link.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining each rate of the data packets on the primary link includes counting only packets of high priority.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second synthetic packet rate is based directly on the second rate of at which data packets sent on the primary link.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an amount of the second synthetic packets sent on the backup link is proportional to an amount of high priority data packets on the primary link.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein an amount of the second synthetic packets sent on the backup link is proportional to an amount of voice and video type data packets on the primary link.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the synthetic packets are sent such that a failover of the primary link to the backup link is within an expected delay.
8 . A network device system for managing synthetic packet transmission on a backup link, the network device system comprising a network device comprising:
a memory configured to store instructions; and
a control unit configured to access the instructions in the memory and to:
determine a first rate of data packets on a primary link;
based at least in part on the first rate of data packets:
determine a first synthetic packet rate, wherein the backup link is configured to be activated to carry data traffic in case of a degradation of the primary link; and
keep said backup link alive by sending, on the backup link, first synthetic packets at the determined first synthetic packet rate;
determine a second rate of data packets on the primary link, wherein the second rate of data packets is different from the first rate of data packets;
based at least in part on the determined second rate of data packets on the primary link:
determine a second synthetic packet rate different from the first synthetic packet rate; and
send, on the backup link, second synthetic packets at the determined second synthetic packet rate, wherein the second synthetic packet rate is determined as a function of the second rate of data packets on the primary link.
9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the primary link is a fixed link and the backup link is a wireless link.
10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein determining each rate of data packets on the primary link includes counting only packets of high priority.
11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the second synthetic packet rate is proportional to the determined second rate of the data packets on the primary link.
12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the second synthetic packet rate is based directly on the determined second rate at which the data packets are sent on the primary link.
13 . The system of claim 8 , wherein an amount of the second synthetic packets sent on the backup link is proportional to an amount of high priority data packets on the primary link.
14 . The system of claim 8 , wherein an amount of the second synthetic packets sent on the backup link is proportional to an amount of voice and video type data packets on the primary link.