This topic discusses the need for a heartbeat between SLX and EFA and how the state of the SLX can be modified based on the heart beats received from EFA.
This feature enables changing the state of the SLX OS device depending on the availability of heartbeats from an external management application, specifically, Extreme Networks's Extreme Fabric Automation (EFA) application.
Once this feature is enabled on the SLX device, it starts to listen to periodic heartbeats from the remote EFA application. When the SLX device - that is listening to a heartbeat - does not receive these heartbeat messages for a configured time interval, it can declare itself as being Out Of Service and perform a set of pre-defined actions.
When this feature is not enabled, the SLX device ignores any heartbeats it receives. It is considered to be in the Management Operational State - Down state.
When the feature is enabled for the first time, the SLX device starts with a state of Management Operational State - Down. It enables itself and starts to listen for the heartbeats from EFA. When it receives the first heartbeat, it brings itself up to Management Operational State - Up.
When the device is in the Management Operational State - Up state, it keeps on listening for heartbeat messages. When any heartbeat message is not received for a pre-defined time interval, it enters itself into Management Operational State - Down. It then can perform a few pre-defined actions. After completing these actions, the device places itself in Maintenance Mode.
When the SLX device comes up after a reboot, it enters itself into the state it was in before the reboot. If the Management Heartbeat feature was enabled, the device starts listening for the first heartbeat message from EFA and on receiving it enters into Management Operational State - Up state.
If the SLX device enters the Management Operational State - Down state after not having receiving heartbeat messages from EFA, it remains in the Admin Up State. While in this state, it continues to listen for the first heartbeat message from EFA and on receiving it, enters into the Management Operational State - Up state.
When the SLX device is Admin Up State due to it being in Management Operational State - Down, an administrator May change its state to Admin Down State.