BACKGROUND

Service providers are increasingly interested in offering services to subscribers that were traditionally handled on the subscriber network rather than in the service provider's network. Such capabilities offer advantages to both the service provider and the customer.

SUMMARY

The embodiments disclosed herein implement automatic local gateway router backup of a network gateway router. In particular, a local gateway router operates in one of two modes, a tunneling mode and a routing mode. When a network gateway router is able to communicate with the local gateway router and provide default gateway router services, the local gateway router operates in the tunneling mode and communicates packets between the network gateway router and computing devices (e.g., hosts or host computers) on the subnet in a manner that is transparent to the computing devices on the subnet. If the network gateway router stops responding, the local gateway router transitions from tunneling mode to the routing mode, and becomes the default gateway router for the local subnet.

In one embodiment a method is provided. The method includes determining, by a local gateway router communicatively coupled to a local subnet, that a network gateway router that serves as a default gateway router for the local subnet has stopped responding. The local gateway router and the network gateway router are configured to communicate with one another via a tunnel implemented by a tunneling protocol. The method further includes, in response to determining that the network gateway router has stopped responding, automatically switching, by the local gateway router, from a tunneling mode to a routing mode, such that the local gateway router becomes the default gateway router for the local subnet.

In another embodiment a gateway router is provided. The gateway router includes a memory, a transceiver configured to be coupled to a local subnet, and a processor device coupled to the memory. The processor device is configured to determine that a network gateway router that serves as a default gateway router for the local subnet has stopped responding, a local gateway router and the network gateway router are configured to communicate with one another via a tunnel implemented by a tunneling protocol. The processor device is further configured to, in response to determining that the network gateway router has stopped responding, automatically switch from a tunneling mode to a routing mode, such that the gateway router becomes the default gateway router for the local subnet.

In another embodiment a computer program product is provided. The computer program product is stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and includes instructions configured to cause a processor device of a local gateway router to determine that a network gateway router that serves as a default gateway router for a local subnet has stopped responding, the local gateway router and the network gateway router configured to communicate with one another via a tunnel implemented by a tunneling protocol. The instructions are further configured to cause the processor device to, in response to determining that the network gateway router has stopped responding, automatically switch from a tunneling mode to a routing mode, such that the gateway router becomes the default gateway router for the local subnet.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate the scope of the disclosure and realize additional aspects thereof after reading the following detailed description of the embodiments in association with the accompanying drawing figures.

