METHOD AND APPARATUS PROVIDING FOR ROUTER REDUNDANCY OF NON INTERNET PROTOCOLS USING THE VIRTUAL ROUTER REDUNDANCY PROTOCOL

One or more nodes configured with data communication protocol suites other than TCP/IP, and for which a default routes election protocol such as VRRP is not available, forwards non TCP/IP traffic destined to nodes on other network to the VRRP master virtual router. A non TCP/IP based node, given a statically configured Network layer address for a next hop routes, resolves the Network layer address to a VRRP based MAC layer address for the next hop routes, if the next hop router has VRRP enabled and is the master virtual routes for TCP/IP traffic. The non TCP/IP node caches the VRRP based MAC address for use in forwarding non TCP/IP traffic to an available next hop routes. Thereafter, the non TCP/IP node forwards traffic destined to nodes on other networks to the VRRP master virtual router. If the master virtual router becomes unavailable to forward TCP/IP based traffic, it transitions to become the new backup virtual router, while the backup virtual router transitions to become the new master virtual router responsible for forwarding TCP/IP based traffic. The new master virtual router shares the same VRRP based MAC address. Therefore, the non TCP/IP based node, having cached the VRRP based MAC address of the next hop router, forwards traffic destined to nodes on other networks to the new master virtual router. This removes the need for intervention or reconfiguration of the non TCP/IP based node for continued routing of non TCP/IP traffic transmitted therefrom in the event that the router identified therein by the statically configured Network layer address for a next hop router becomes unavailable.