Leader device selection in control clusters using shared VLAN

1. A computer usable program product comprising a computer readable storage device including computer usable code for leader device selection in a control cluster using a shared virtual local area network (VLAN), the computer usable code comprising:

computer usable code for receiving over the VLAN, at a first virtual device executing in a data processing system, a broadcast Hello packet;

computer usable code for evaluating, at the first virtual device, and responsive to the first virtual device satisfying a partnership criterion specified in the Hello packet, that a first ranking of the first virtual device is higher than a ranking of a sender virtual device, the sender virtual device broadcasting the Hello packet;

computer usable code for unicasting over the VLAN a first Live packet to the sender virtual device;

computer usable code for taking, by the first virtual device, a leadership role in the control cluster, the first virtual device and the sender virtual device being partners in the control cluster;

computer usable code for causing the sender virtual device to stop a broadcasting operation at the sender virtual device;

computer usable code for broadcasting, from the first virtual device, a second Hello packet over the VLAN; and

computer usable code for determining, at the first virtual device, whether a partner list associated with the first virtual device includes a threshold number of partner virtual devices, the partner list including the sender virtual device, wherein the broadcasting from the first virtual device is responsive to the partner list not including the threshold number of partner virtual devices.

2. The computer usable program product of claim 1 , further comprising:

computer usable code for broadcasting, from the first virtual device, while the sender virtual device is enabled to broadcast the Hello packet, a third Hello packet over the VLAN.

3. The computer usable program product of claim 1 , wherein the computer usable code for taking the leadership role comprises:

computer usable code for taking over, by the first virtual device and from the sender virtual device, the leadership role, wherein the sender virtual device is operating as a leader device in the control cluster prior to the taking over.

4. The computer usable program product of claim 1 , further comprising:

computer usable code for receiving over the VLAN, at the first virtual device, a third Hello packet broadcast from a second virtual device;

computer usable code for evaluating, at the first virtual device, and responsive to the first virtual device satisfying a second partnership criterion specified in the third Hello packet, that a first ranking of the first virtual device is lower than a second ranking of the second virtual device;

computer usable code for unicasting over the VLAN a second Live packet to the second virtual device;

computer usable code for stopping a broadcast operation at the first virtual device; and

computer usable code for allowing the second virtual device to take the leadership role in the control cluster, the first virtual device and the second virtual device being partners in the control cluster.

5. The computer usable program product of claim 1 , wherein the computer usable code for evaluating comprises:

computer usable code for selecting a first information associated with the first virtual device;

computer usable code for selecting a second information associated with the sender virtual device, wherein the second information is of a type of the first information; and

computer usable code for establishing a ranking of the first virtual device relative to the second virtual device by comparing the first information with the second information.

6. The computer usable program product of claim 5 , wherein the first information comprises a Media Access Control (MAC) address associated with the first virtual device.

7. The computer usable program product of claim 5 , wherein the first information comprises a priority associated with the first virtual device.

8. The computer usable program product of claim 1 , wherein the computer usable code is stored in a computer readable storage device in a data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is transferred over a network from a remote data processing system.

9. The computer usable program product of claim 1 , wherein the computer usable code is stored in a computer readable storage device in a server data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is downloaded over a network to a remote data processing system for use in a computer readable storage device associated with the remote data processing system.

10. A data processing system for leader device selection in a control cluster using a shared virtual local area network (VLAN), the data processing system comprising:

a storage device, wherein the storage device stores computer usable program code; and a processor, wherein the processor executes the computer usable program code, and wherein the computer usable program code comprises:

computer usable code for receiving over the VLAN, at a first virtual device executing in a data processing system, a broadcast Hello packet;

computer usable code for evaluating, at the first virtual device, and responsive to the first virtual device satisfying a partnership criterion specified in the Hello packet, that a first ranking of the first virtual device is higher than a ranking of a sender virtual device, the sender virtual device broadcasting the Hello packet;

computer usable code for unicasting over the VLAN a first Live packet to the sender virtual device;

computer usable code for taking, by the first virtual device, a leadership role in the control cluster, the first virtual device and the sender virtual device being partners in the control cluster;

computer usable code for causing the sender virtual device to stop a broadcasting operation at the sender virtual device;

computer usable code for broadcasting, from the first virtual device, a second Hello packet over the VLAN; and

computer usable code for determining, at the first virtual device, whether a partner list associated with the first virtual device includes a threshold number of partner virtual devices, the partner list including the sender virtual device, wherein the broadcasting from the first virtual device is responsive to the partner list not including the threshold number of partner virtual devices.