Description of problem: I would like for Julian Anastasov's kernel patches to be integrated into the stock kernel (or, if possible, as a kernel module installable via yum?). The kernel patches can be found here: http://www.ssi.bg/~ja/#routes-2.6 As a related feature: also modify the network scripts, so when, say a gateway is defined in ifcfg-eth0 and a gateway is defined in ifcfg-eth1, the rules are setup according to the instructions "http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/answers.php? action=viewarticle&artid=490" (some more info also at "http://lartc.org/howto/lartc.rpdb.multiple-links.html") Basically, the network script change is to set up rules to allow the router to use both gateways for internet access, but it causes problems if one gateway goes down. That is where Julian's kernel patches come in. The patches allow better dead gateway detection, so if one gateway goes down then all traffic is sent to the other gateway and (somehow, I don't know how) when the downed gateway comes back, it is automatically detected and traffic is again sent to that gateway. Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): How reproducible: always Steps to Reproduce: 1. Configure a router with multiple interfaces connected to internet gateways 2. add GATEWAY=blah.blah.blah.blah to the appropriate ifcfg-ethX for each interface. 3. run traceroutes to various sites on the net .... 4. break the connection to one gateway, to see failover Actual results: At step 3, all traceroutes show the traffic going over the same interface At step 4, if the gateway is lost that all traffic from step 3 is going over, then all internet traffic is lost. After setting up the correct ip route rules manually, then when one gateway is lost all traffic that would be sent to that gateway is lost and does not failover to the next gateway. Expected results: At step 3, each traceroute to a different site should go over a different gateway in sequential order. At step 4, when one gateway is unreachable, that gateway is skipped and traffic goes to the next gateway until the unreachable gateway is detected as available again. Additional info: As I said, Julian Anastasov already did all the hard work. I just wish his patches were in the stock kernels (or available as an addon via yum) so I can have the router automatically update with yum without breaking. Modifying the scripts should be a trivial task, it's just running a few extra "ip route add" and "ip rule add" commands using variables already in the ifcfg-ethX files.
Created attachment 120353 [details] Julian's patches for multi-gateway routers
needs to be merged upstream. netdev.org
Fedora includes other patches to the kernel (so I've heard). It would be advantageous to have this one. Also, aren't the network scripts completely specific to Fedora/Redhat? If the network scripts need to be filed under a different component, could you let me know which one...
whilst we do carry some patches, we try to the limit 'new feature' style patches where possible. Every added patch is an increased maintainence burden, so where I can, I'm dropping patches instead of adding more. network scripts would be 'initscripts' component at a guess.
Ok, I understand, and thanks for the reply. I'll file the network scripts changes under initscripts (they will still be advantageous even without Julian's patches) and cross my fingers. I've also filed a bug report with kernel.org (don't know if they want feature requests or not). I really can't imagine this not EVER getting included. Routing and firewalling seems to be one of the more popular things to do with linux and dual wan connections are becoming ever more popular...