A methodology for developing dynamic network reconfiguration processes

Dynamic network reconfiguration is defined as the change from one routing function to another while the network is up and running. The main challenge is avoidance of deadlocks, while keeping restrictions on packet injection and forwarding minimal. Current approaches either require virtual channels in the network, or they work only for a limited set of routing algorithms. We present a methodology for devising deadlock free and dynamic transitions between an old and a new routing function. The methodology is independent of topology and puts no restrictions on either routing function. Furthermore, it does not require any virtual channels to guarantee deadlock freedom. This research is motivated by the current trend toward using increasingly larger Internet servers based on clusters of PCs and the very high availability requirements of those as well as other local, system, and storage area network-based systems