US6195705B1 — Mobile IP mobility agent standby protocol

Claim 1

Independent Claim 104 words

In a standby Mobility Agent, a method of providing Mobile IP redundancy, the method comprising: determining that an active Mobility Agent, with which the standby Mobility Agent shares a virtual IP address known to a Mobile Node, is no longer acting as a Mobility Agent on a network segment for the Mobile Node; assuming the role of active Mobility Agent on the network segment using the shared virtual IP address, thereby handling registrations from the Mobile Node; and sending a list of registrations currently handled by the active Mobility Agent on the network segment to a new standby Mobility Agent on the network segment.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 104 words

In a standby Mobility Agent, a method of providing Mobile IP redundancy, the method comprising: determining that an active Mobility Agent, with which the standby Mobility Agent shares a virtual IP address known to a Mobile Node, is no longer acting as a Mobility Agent on a network segment for the Mobile Node; assuming the role of active Mobility Agent on the network segment using the shared virtual IP address, thereby handling registrations from the Mobile Node; and sending a list of registrations currently handled by the active Mobility Agent on the network segment to a new standby Mobility Agent on the network segment.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 30 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to determining that an active Mobility Agent is no longer acting as a Mobility Agent, assuming the role of standby Mobility Agent.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method of claim 1 , further comprising registering the Mobile Node when it moves to a new location, wherein the Mobility Agent is a Home Agent.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 45 words

The method of claim 3 , wherein prior to determining that the active Mobility Agent is no longer acting as a Mobility Agent, receiving a registration entry from the active Mobility Agent, which registration entry specifies registration of the Mobile Node at a remote location.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 22 words

The method of claim 4 , further comprising adding the registration entry to a mobility binding table in the standby Mobility Agent.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 43 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to determining that the active Mobility Agent is no longer acting as a Mobility Agent, receiving an entire mobility binding table or an entire visitor table specifying multiple registration entries from the active Mobility Agent.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein the standby Mobility Agent determines that the active Mobility Agent is no longer acting as a Mobility Agent by receiving a resign message from the active Mobility Agent.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 45 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein the standby Mobility Agent determines that the active Mobility Agent is no longer acting as a Mobility Agent by determining that no hello message has been received from the active Mobility Agent within a predefined length of time.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 25 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein when the standby Mobility Agent assumes the role of active Mobility Agent, it adopts the virtual IP address.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 25 words

The method of claim 9 , wherein when the standby Mobility Agent assumes the role of active Mobility Agent, it adopts a virtual MAC address.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method of claim 1 , further comprising preempting the active Mobility Agent if the active Mobility Agent has a lower priority than the standby Mobility Agent.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 67 words

In an active Mobility Agent on a network segment, a method of maintaining Mobile IP operation, the method comprising: registering a Mobile Node; creating a registration entry internally for the Mobile Node; and sending a message notifying a standby Mobility Agent on the network segment of the registration, the active Mobility Agent and the standby Mobility Agent sharing a virtual IP address known to the Mobile Node.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 67 words

In an active Mobility Agent on a network segment, a method of maintaining Mobile IP operation, the method comprising: registering a Mobile Node; creating a registration entry internally for the Mobile Node; and sending a message notifying a standby Mobility Agent on the network segment of the registration, the active Mobility Agent and the standby Mobility Agent sharing a virtual IP address known to the Mobile Node.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 64 words

The method of claim 12 , further comprising: receiving a request from the standby Mobility Agent to dump registration entries for an entire mobility binding table, or a visitor table, containing multiple registration entries from the active Mobility Agent to the standby Mobility Agent; and dumping the registration entries for the mobility binding table from the active Mobility Agent to the standby Mobility Agent.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 18 words

The method of claim 13 , wherein dumping the registration entries mobility binding table is performed via UDP.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 20 words

The method of claim 12 , wherein the UDP message notifying the standby Mobility Agent of the registration is unicast.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 36 words

The method of claim 12 , further comprising periodically sending hello messages to the standby Mobility Agent, thereby notifying the standby Mobility Agent that the active Mobility Agent continues to function as the active Mobility Agent.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 45 words

The method of claim 12 , further comprising periodically sending hello messages to a standby group of routers, each configured to act as an active Mobility Agent, thereby notifying the standby group that the active Mobility Agent continues to function as the active Mobility Agent.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 25 words

The method of claim 12 , further comprising sending a resign message to the standby Mobility Agent before resigning the post of active Mobility Agent.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 122 words

A router supporting Mobile IP for use with a network segment having a plurality of routers and a plurality of Mobile Nodes which register with an active Mobility Agent from the plurality of routers, the router comprising: a memory; a processor coupled to said memory; one or more interfaces for sending and receiving data packets on a network, wherein said memory and said processor are adapted to provide (a) a primary router address and (b) a group virtual IP address which is adopted by the router when it becomes the active Mobility Agent of the network segment, and wherein said memory and said processor are adapted to (c) send registration updates to a standby Mobility Agent from among the plurality of routers.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 122 words

A router supporting Mobile IP for use with a network segment having a plurality of routers and a plurality of Mobile Nodes which register with an active Mobility Agent from the plurality of routers, the router comprising: a memory; a processor coupled to said memory; one or more interfaces for sending and receiving data packets on a network, wherein said memory and said processor are adapted to provide (a) a primary router address and (b) a group virtual IP address which is adopted by the router when it becomes the active Mobility Agent of the network segment, and wherein said memory and said processor are adapted to (c) send registration updates to a standby Mobility Agent from among the plurality of routers.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 29 words

The router of claim 19 , wherein the memory and processor are further adapted to assume a status of standby Mobility Agent for backing up the active Mobility Agent.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 58 words

The router of claim 19 , wherein the memory and processor are further adapted to issue, through one of said one or more interfaces, at least one of a resign message to relinquish a status of active Mobility Agent or a hello message to notify other routers in the network segment that the active Mobility Agent is operating.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 43 words

The router of claim 19 , wherein the memory and processor are further adapted to issue a coup message, through said one or more interfaces, to notify a current active Mobility Agent when the router will attempt to become the active Mobility Agent.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 27 words

The router of claim 22 , wherein the memory and processor are further adapted to disable, at least temporarily, the router's ability to issue a coup message.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 30 words

The router of claim 19 , further comprising a priority specifying the router's relative likelihood of becoming the active Mobility Agent in comparison to other routers in the network segment.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 64 words

The router of claim 19 , further comprising: means for detecting when a hello message has not been received from the current active Mobility Agent within a predetermined time; and means for automatically changing from the status of standby Mobility Agent to the status of active Mobility Agent when no hello message has been received from the current active router within said predetermined time.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 22 words

The router of claim 25 , wherein the hello message includes a router priority, a router status, and the group virtual address.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 52 words

The router of claim 19 , further comprising: means for automatically inserting the group virtual address into an address filter when the router assumes the status of active Mobility Agent; and means for removing the group virtual address from the address filter when the router resigns the status of active Mobility Agent.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 27 words

The router of claim 19 , wherein the active Mobility Agent is an active Home Agent and wherein the standby Mobility Agent is a standby Home Agent.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 115 words

In a router, a method of providing redundancy for a network segment, the method comprising: assuming the status of standby router on the network segment to backup an active router on the network segment, with which the standby router shares a virtual IP address known to a host based at the network segment; determining that the active router is no longer acting as an active router for the host; assuming the role of active router for the shared virtual IP address, thereby handling packet exchange tasks for the host; and apprising a new standby router of an entry to a dynamic list specifying the status of one or more hosts based at the network segment.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 115 words

In a router, a method of providing redundancy for a network segment, the method comprising: assuming the status of standby router on the network segment to backup an active router on the network segment, with which the standby router shares a virtual IP address known to a host based at the network segment; determining that the active router is no longer acting as an active router for the host; assuming the role of active router for the shared virtual IP address, thereby handling packet exchange tasks for the host; and apprising a new standby router of an entry to a dynamic list specifying the status of one or more hosts based at the network segment.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 14 words

The method of claim 29 , wherein the apprising is performed via UDP communication.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 71 words

The method of claim 29 , wherein the dynamic list specifies at least one of a registration for a Mobile IP Mobile Node, a visitor entry for a Mobile IP Mobile Node, an address translation for a network node employing Network Address Translation, address bindings in Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers, dynamic ACL in Reflexive Access List, and TCP and GTP layer context in GPRS support nodes: SGSN & GGSN.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2004-02-27	2004-08-28	2005-02-27	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2008-02-27	2008-08-28	2009-02-27	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2012-02-27	2012-08-28	2013-02-27	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Mobile IP mobility agent standby protocol

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