Method for configuring a connection using redundant service nodes

1. A method using redundant service nodes to redirect traffic from a second path between a first switch and a second switch to a first path between the first switch and the second switch, the method comprising:

directing traffic along the second path by setting a link aggregation control protocol (LACP) link state of a first plurality of ports to STANDBY and the LACP link state of a second plurality of ports to SELECTED,

wherein a first service node comprises the first plurality of ports,

wherein a second service node comprises the second plurality of ports,

wherein the first path comprises a first link aggregation group (LAG), a second LAG, and the first service node,

wherein the first lag is a full duplex link,

wherein the second LAG is a half-duplex link,

wherein the second path comprises a third LAG, a fourth LAG, and the second service node,

wherein the first LAG connects the first switch to the first service node,

wherein the second LAG connects the first service node to the second switch,

wherein the third LAG connects the first switch to the second service node,

wherein the fourth LAG connects the second service node to the second switch,

wherein setting the LACP link state the first plurality of ports to STANDBY disables frame collection by the first service node on the first LAG and on the second LAG, and

wherein setting the LACP link state of the second plurality of ports to SELECTED enables frame collection by the second service node on the third LAG and on the fourth LAG; and

after directing traffic along the second path, redirecting traffic along the first path by setting the LACP link state of the first plurality of ports from STANDBY to SELECTED and the LACP link state of the second plurality of ports from SELECTED to STANDBY,

wherein setting the LACP link state of the first plurality of ports to SELECTED enables frame collection by the first service node on the first LAG and on the second LAG, and

wherein setting the second plurality of ports to STANDBY disables frame collection by second service node on the third LAG and on the fourth LAG.

2. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the first service node is configured to, upon being set to BACKUP mode, set the LACP link state of the first plurality of ports to STANDBY,

wherein the first service node is configured to, upon being set to ACTIVE mode, set the LACP link state of the first plurality of ports to SELECTED,

wherein the second service node is configured to, upon being set to BACKUP mode, set the LACP link state of the second plurality of ports to STANDBY,

wherein the second service node is configured to, upon being set to ACTIVE mode, set the LACP link state of the second plurality of ports to SELECTED, and

wherein the first service node is set to ACTIVE and the second service node is set to BACKUP upon the sending of a notification from the second service node to the first service node.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein redirected traffic occurs upon the sending of a notification from the second service node to the first service node, and wherein the notification is sent out-of-band.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein redirected traffic occurs upon the sending of a notification from the second service node to the first service node, and wherein the notification is sent in response to at least one of the second service node becoming unavailable, tracking interfaces becoming unavailable, and a manual user interaction.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein redirecting traffic after directing traffic occurs without configuring the first switch or the second switch.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the LACP link state for each port is set by setting a selected variable for each port, and wherein the selected variable for a port is set using a link aggregation control protocol with protocol data units transmitted on one second intervals.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the LACP link state for each port is set by setting a selected variable for each port, and wherein the selected variable for all ports of a LAG in a service node is set to the same value concurrently.

8. A method using redundant service nodes to redirect traffic from a second path between a first switch and a second switch to a first path between the first switch and the second switch, the method comprising:

directing traffic along the second path by setting a link aggregation control protocol (LACP) link state for a plurality of ports of a in a first service node to STANDBY and by setting the LACP link state for a plurality of ports of a second service node to SELECTED,

wherein setting the LACP link state for the ports in the first service node to STANDBY puts at least one multiplexer in the first service node in a WAITING state to disable frame collection/distribution at the first service node via the first LAG and the third LAG, wherein the first service node is located between a first switch and a second switch, the first LAG connected between the first switch and the first service node and the third LAG connected between the second switch and the first service node,

wherein setting the LACP link state for the ports in the second service node to SELECTED puts at least one multiplexer in the second service node in a COLLECTING/DISTRIBUTING state to enable frame collection/distribution at the second service node via the second LAG and the fourth LAG, wherein the second service node is located between the first switch and the second switch, the second LAG connected between the first switch and the second service node and the fourth LAG connected between the second switch and the second service node, and

wherein the first service node and the second service node are connected by an in-band connection; and

after directing traffic along the second path and upon receipt of a notification from the second service node, redirecting traffic along the first path by:

setting the LACP link state for the ports in the first service node to SELECTED to put the at least one multiplexer in the first service node in the COLLECTING/DISTRIBUTING state; and

setting the LACP link state for the ports in the second service node to STANDBY to put the at least one multiplexer in the second service node in the WAITING state.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein setting the LACP link state for the ports a service node to STANDBY is triggered by putting the service node in a BACKUP mode and setting the LACP link state the ports in a service node to SELECTED is triggered by putting the service node in an ACTIVE mode.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the LACP link state for each port is set by setting a selected variable for each port, and wherein the selected variable for a port is set using a link aggregation control protocol with protocol data units transmitted on one second intervals.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the LACP link state for each port is set by setting a selected variable for each port, and wherein the selected variable for all ports in a service node is set concurrently.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein redirected traffic occurs upon the sending of the notification from the second service node to the first service node, and wherein the notification is sent out-of-band.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein redirected traffic occurs upon the sending of the notification from the second service node to the first service node, and wherein the notification is sent in response to at least one of the second service node becoming unavailable, tracking interfaces becoming unavailable, and a manual user interaction.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein redirecting traffic after directing traffic occurs without configuring the first switch or the second switch.

15. A method using redundant service nodes to redirect traffic from a second path between a first switch and a second switch to a first path between the first switch and the second switch, the method comprising:

directing traffic along the second path by setting a link aggregation control protocol (LACP) link state for a plurality of ports of a in a first service node to STANDBY and by setting the LACP link state for a plurality of ports of a second service node to SELECTED,

wherein setting the LACP link state for the ports in the first service node to STANDBY puts at least one multiplexer in the first service node in a WAITING state to disable frame collection/distribution at the first service node via the first LAG and the third LAG, wherein the first service node is located between a first switch and a second switch, the first LAG connected between the first switch and the first service node and the third LAG connected between the second switch and the first service node,

wherein setting the LACP link state for the ports in the second service node to SELECTED puts at least one multiplexer in the second service node in a COLLECTING/DISTRIBUTING state to enable frame collection/distribution at the second service node via the second LAG and the fourth LAG, wherein the second service node is located between the first switch and the second switch, the second LAG connected between the first switch and the second service node and the fourth LAG connected between the second switch and the second service node,

wherein the LACP link state for each port is set by setting a selected variable for each port, and wherein the selected variable for a port is set using a link aggregation control protocol with protocol data units transmitted on one second intervals, and

wherein the first service node and the second service node are not connected by an in-band connection; and

after directing traffic along the second path and upon receipt of a notification from the second service node, redirecting traffic along the first path by:

setting the LACP link state for the ports in the first service node to SELECTED to put the at least one multiplexer in the first service node in the COLLECTING/DISTRIBUTING state; and

setting the LACP link state for the ports in the second service node to STANDBY to put the at least one multiplexer in the second service node in the WAITING state.