Graceful switchover for multi-chassis trunking

1. A stacking system, comprising:

an active computer network device configured to execute software for control protocols and user configuration of the stacking system; and

a standby computer network device configured to provide switchover backup for the active computer network device, wherein, when a switchover from the active computer network device to the standby computer network device occurs, at least the standby computer network device is configured to perform an action based at least in part on differences between system control tables for the active computer network device and the standby computer network device;

wherein the action comprises: reprograming at least part of the system control tables; reprogramming at least part of hardware in the stacking system; or downloading at least the part of the system control tables to the hardware;

wherein the system control tables comprise: a media access control (MAC) address table, a spanning tree group table, a link aggregation group table, or a port table with information associated with ports;

wherein the stacking system is configured to run the active computer network device and the standby computer network device independently, and ignore consistent and continuous out-of-synchronization conditions between the active computer network device and the standby computer network device; and

wherein, when the stacking system switches over from the active computer network device to the standby computer network device, the standby computer network device is configured to repaint states of stacking units in the stacking system based at least in part on a state table that defines states and associated state setting requirements.

2. The stacking system of claim 1 , wherein the stacking system implements a control protocol that is configured to protect against loops in a network by blocking ports, and that is configured to relearn network topologies when a link in the network fails; and

wherein the control protocol is different from a spanning tree protocol.

3. The stacking system of claim 2 , wherein the control protocol comprises multi-chassis trunking (MCT).

4. The stacking system of claim 1 , wherein the active computer network device and the standby computer network device have state machines for the stacking system that are based at least in part on a topology of the stacking system, so that the state machines converge to a common state even if the active computer network device and the standby computer network device execute different sequences of events; and

wherein the topology of the stacking system comprises the user configuration and link events.

5. The stacking system of claim 1 , wherein the stacking system is configured to bi-cast control packets to the active computer network device and the standby computer network device.

6. The stacking system of claim 1 , wherein the port table specifies a subset of the ports that are enabled and a subset of the ports that are disabled.

7. The stacking system of claim 1 , wherein the spanning tree group table specifies blocking or forwarding of traffic and the link aggregation group table specifies a group of ports that are aggregated into a link.

8. The stacking system of claim 1 , wherein the action does not affect all of the system control tables.

9. The stacking system of claim 8 , wherein the action only affects the portion of the system control tables, and the portion of the system control tables comprises the link aggregation group table and the spanning tree group table.

10. The stacking system of claim 1 , wherein the stacking system is configured to implement distributed standby in which multiple computer network devices in the stacking system are configured to provide standby backup for the active computer network device.

11. The stacking system of claim 10 , wherein the action comprises downloading at least the portion of the system control tables to the multiple computer network devices, which are configured to reprogram at least the portion of the system control tables or the hardware based at least in part on at least the downloaded portion of the system control tables.

12. The stacking system of claim 1 , wherein the standby computer network device is configured to delay, for a time interval, reprogramming of the spanning tree group table in order to avoid a layer 2 (L2) loop condition.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use in conjunction with a stacking system, the computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions that, when executed by the stacking system, cause the stacking system to perform operations comprising:

when a failure or administrative shutdown of an active computer network device in the stacking system occurs, performing a switchover from the active computer network device to a standby computer network device in the stacking system, wherein the active computer network device executes software for control protocols and user configuration of the stacking system; and

performing, at least by the standby computer network device, an action based at least in part on differences between system control tables for the active computer network device and the standby computer network device, wherein the action comprises: reprograming at least part of the system control tables; reprogramming at least part of hardware in the stacking system; or downloading at least the part of the system control tables to the hardware;

wherein the system control tables comprise: a media access control (MAC) address table, a spanning tree group table, a link aggregation group table, or a port table with information associated with ports;

wherein the stacking system runs the active computer network device and the standby computer network device independently, and ignores consistent and continuous out-of-synchronization conditions between the active computer network device and the standby computer network device; and

wherein, when the stacking system switches over from the active computer network device to the standby computer network device, the standby computer network device repaints states of stacking units in the stacking system based at least in part on a state table that defines states and associated state setting requirements.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the stacking system implements a control protocol that is configured to protect against loops in a network by blocking ports, and that is configured to relearn network topologies when a link in the network fails; and

wherein the control protocol is different from a spanning tree protocol.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the control protocol comprises multi-chassis trunking (MCT).

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the action does not affect all of the system control tables.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the action only affects the portion of the system control tables, and the portion of the system control tables comprises the link aggregation group table and the spanning tree group table.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the stacking system is configured to implement distributed standby in which multiple computer network devices in the stacking system are configured to provide standby backup for the active computer network device; and

wherein the action comprises downloading at least the portion of the system control tables to the multiple computer network devices, which are configured to reprogram at least the portion of the system control tables or the hardware based at least in part on at least the downloaded portion of the system control tables.

19. A method for performing a switchover in a stacking system, comprising:

by at least a standby computer network device in the stacking system:

when a failure or an administrative shutdown of an active computer network device in the stacking system occurs, performing the switchover from the active computer network device to the standby computer network device in the stacking system, wherein the active computer network device executes software for control protocols and user configuration of the stacking system; and

performing, at least by the standby computer network device, an action based at least in part on differences between system control tables for the active computer network device and the standby computer network device, wherein the action comprises: reprograming at least part of the system control tables; reprogramming at least part of hardware in the stacking system; or downloading at least the part of the system control tables to the hardware;

wherein the system control tables comprise: a media access control (MAC) address table, a spanning tree group table, a link aggregation group table, or a port table with information associated with ports;

wherein the stacking system runs the active computer network device and the standby computer network device independently, and ignores consistent and continuous out-of-synchronization conditions between the active computer network device and the standby computer network device; and

wherein, when the stacking system switches over from the active computer network device to the standby computer network device, the standby computer network device repaints states of stacking units in the stacking system based at least in part on a state table that defines states and associated state setting requirements.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the stacking system implements a control protocol that is configured to protect against loops in a network by blocking ports, and that is configured to relearn network topologies when a link in the network fails;

wherein the control protocol is different from a spanning tree protocol.