Data traffic management system and method

1. A method of managing data traffic in a communications network, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of data tunnels, the plurality of tunnels each including a first endpoint device and a second endpoint device;

providing a hierarchy table for the plurality of data tunnels;

routing data traffic to a primary data tunnel of the plurality of data tunnels based on the hierarchy table;

continuously sending a first update packet from the first endpoint device to the second endpoint device for each of the plurality of tunnels;

continuously sending a second update packet from the second endpoint device to the first endpoint device for each of the plurality of tunnels;

continuously determining if the first update packet was received by each of the second endpoint devices;

continuously determining if the second update packet was received by each of the first endpoint devices;

routing data traffic to a secondary data tunnel of the plurality of data tunnels based on the hierarchy table when either the first update packet or the second update packet are not received in a predetermined amount of time by the endpoint devices of the primary data tunnel.

2. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

updating a routing table of each endpoint device and each device connected to the endpoint devices of the primary tunnel to route data traffic to the secondary tunnel.

3. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

updating a forwarding table of each endpoint device and each device connected to the endpoint devices of the primary tunnel to route data traffic to the secondary tunnel.

4. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

updating a connection table of each endpoint device and each device connected to the endpoint devices of the primary tunnel to route data traffic to the secondary tunnel.

5. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

altering a forwarding path of each endpoint device and each device connected to the endpoint devices of the primary tunnel to route data traffic to the secondary tunnel.

6. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

continuously sending the first update packet from the first endpoint device to the second endpoint device for each of the plurality of tunnels;

continuously sending the second update packet from the second endpoint device to the first endpoint device for each of the plurality of tunnels;

continuously determining if the first update packet was received by each of the second endpoint devices;

continuously determining if the second update packet was received by each of the first endpoint devices;

routing data traffic to the primary data tunnel of the plurality of data tunnels when the first update packet and the second update packet are received in a predetermined amount of time by the endpoint devices of the primary data tunnel.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communications network includes:

at least one data center, the at least one data center including at least two edge devices each implemented as one of the plurality of endpoint devices;

at least one remote processing center, the at least one remote processing center including at least two edge devices each implemented as one of the plurality of endpoint devices; and

at least two intermediary networks connecting the edge devices together.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of data tunnels traverse between the at least two edge devices of the at least one data center and the at least two edge devices of the at least one remote processing center.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hierarchy table is stored on each of the endpoint devices.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the endpoint devices determine if the update packets are received within the predetermined amount of time.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating an updated update packet when either the first endpoint device or the second endpoint device determines the update packet was received after the predetermined amount of time; and

sending the updated update packet to each of the endpoint devices of the plurality of data tunnels.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the updated update packet includes instructions to reference the data tunnel hierarchy table for determining which of the plurality of data tunnels to route data traffic to.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein (i) the first endpoint device sends the updated update packet to each device connected to the first endpoint device; and (ii) the second endpoint device sends the updated update packet to each device connected to the second endpoint device.

14. A method of managing data traffic, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of data tunnels in a communications network, the communications network including:

at least one data center, the at least one data center including at least two edge devices each being a first endpoint device of the plurality of data tunnels;

at least one remote processing center, the at least one remote processing center including at least two remote edge devices each being a second endpoint device of the plurality of data tunnels;

wherein the plurality of data tunnels traverse between the at least two edge devices of the at least one data center and the at least two remote edge devices of the at least one remote processing center;

continuously sending a first update packet from a first endpoint device to a second endpoint device of a primary data tunnel;

continuously sending a second update packet from the second endpoint device to the first endpoint device of the primary data tunnel;

determining if the first update packet was received by the second endpoint device in a predetermined amount of time;

determining if the second update packet was received by the first endpoint device in a predetermined amount of time;

updating a routing mechanism of each of the endpoint devices of the plurality of data tunnels to route data traffic to a secondary data tunnel of the plurality of data tunnels when either the first update packet or the second update packet are not received in the predetermined amount of time.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein (i) the at least one data center includes a plurality of internal devices connected to the at least two edge devices; and (ii) the at least one remote processing center includes a plurality of internal devices connected to the at least two remote edge devices.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first endpoint device of the primary data tunnel sends an updated update packet to each of the internal devices connected to the at least two edge devices, the updated update packet including instructions to route data traffic to the secondary data tunnel.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second endpoint device of the primary data tunnel sends an updated update packet to each of the internal devices connected to the at least two remote edge devices, the updated update packet including instructions to route data traffic to the secondary data tunnel.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the routing mechanism is selected from the group consisting of a routing table, a forwarding table, and a connection table.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the routing mechanism includes a forwarding path.

20. A method of managing data traffic in a communications network, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of data tunnels in the communications network;

modifying a plurality of edge devices in the communications network to be endpoint devices for the plurality of data tunnels, each of the plurality of data tunnels including a pair of endpoint devices;

storing a data tunnel hierarchy table in each of the endpoint devices, the data tunnel hierarchy table including a prioritized list of each of the plurality of data tunnels;

modifying a first endpoint device of each pair of endpoint devices to continuously send a update packet to a second endpoint device of each pair of endpoint devices;

modifying the second endpoint device of each pair of endpoint devices to continuously send the update packet to the first endpoint device of each pair of endpoint devices;

modifying the first endpoint device of each pair of endpoint devices to determine if the update packet was received in a predetermined amount of time from the second endpoint device;

modifying the second endpoint device of each pair of endpoint devices to determine if the update packet was received in a predetermined amount of time from the first endpoint device;

modifying each of the endpoint devices to generate an updated update packet when determining the update packet was received after the predetermined amount of time;

wherein the updated update packet includes instructions to reference the data tunnel hierarchy table for directing data traffic to another data tunnel; and

modifying each of the endpoint devices to send the updated update packet to devices connected to the endpoint device.