Pensando Systems Inc.

Hareesh Ramachandran

Krishna Doddapaneni

Sarat Kamisetty

Pirabhu Raman

Balakrishnan Raman

Alok Rathore

Barun Halder

Kalyan Bade

Karthi Mohanraj

A networking device can include a packet processing pipeline circuit and a processor. The packet processing pipeline circuit can be configured to implement a data plane and the processor can be configured to implement a control plane. The packet processing pipeline circuit and the processor can also be configured to send a plurality of heartbeat packets on multiple paths to a second networking device. The data plane can produce and send the heartbeat packets to the second networking device within a heartbeat period. The data plane may send a second plurality of heartbeat packets on multiple paths to the second networking device with a second heartbeat period. The heartbeat packets can have unique packet five tuples that include an IP address of the second networking device.

Systems and methods for a networking device to send heartbeat packets on multiple paths to a second networking device

A network appliance running a first firmware may roll back to that first firmware in a hitless manner during an unsuccessful upgrade to a second firmware. Before the attempted upgrade, a first process in the first firmware is providing a service. The upgrade process is initiated to upgrade the network appliance from the first firmware to a second firmware. The upgrade process can include stopping communication via a data plane of the network appliance to the first process, and detecting an upgrade failure. The upgrade process is hitless because rolling back the upgrade process occurs without halting the first firmware. Rolling back the upgrade includes restoring communications via the data plane to the first process.

Methods and systems for a hitless rollback mechanism during software upgrade of a network appliance

Described are platforms, systems, and methods for upgrading firmware on a programmable input output (IO) device. In one aspect, a method executed by the programmable IO device comprises: receiving, from a north-bound entity, a request to upgrade firmware installed on at least one CPU core; disabling flow-miss traffic to the at least one CPU core; redirecting the flow-miss traffic to an off-box service; providing a configuration for the programmable IO device to the off-box service; redirecting traffic to the off-box service; upgrading the firmware installed on the at least one CPU core; upgrading at least one program running in the data plane; reprograming a forwarding state provided by the off-box service; disabling the redirection of the traffic to the off-box service; and providing, to the north-bound entity, a notification indicating a completion of the upgrade.

Zero packet loss upgrade of an IO device

Growing community of inventors

Bengaluru, India

Hareesh Ramachandran