Resiliency in ethernet fabric architectures by event notification

• US 10,033,572 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2015
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Astigarraga, Tara, Derobertis, Christopher V., Dickens, Louie A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crutchfield, Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, TITO Q
• Application Number:
  US14/644,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20160269220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/745 Reaction in network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/321 Interlayer communication protocols or service data unit [SDU] definitions; Interfaces between layers

Abstract

Methods, computer systems, and computer program products for improving resiliency in computing components functioning according to a multilayered Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model in a network architecture running Ethernet or Internet protocols by a processor device are provided. Upon detection of at least one of a certain event within a specified layer of a network architecture, a notification of the event is provided in an inter-layer basis, such that the responsible entity manages the event according to an OSI model-wide system.

Claims

1. A method for improving resiliency in computing components functioning according to a multilayered Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model in a network architecture running Ethernet or Internet protocols, by a processor device, comprising:

upon detection of at least one transient quality of service (QoS) event associated with a network health within a specified layer of the network architecture, providing a notification of the event in an inter-layer basis, such that a responsible entity comprising an entity which detected the event manages the event by forwarding the notification describing the event to each device in the network architecture on the inter-layer basis according to an OSI model-wide system;

wherein forwarding the notification on the inter-layer basis further includes end port devices sending the notification, switch devices flooding the notification from all ports, and router devices broadcasting or multicasting the notification from all subnets thereby providing the notification on the inter-layer basis so as to notify at least all layer 2 and layer 3 devices in the network architecture of the detected at least one transient QoS event.

2. The method of claim 1, further including detecting the at least one QoS event.

3. The method of claim 2, further including notifying, by devices that support event notification, a controlling entity of the at least one QoS event and its attributes.

4. The method of claim 2, further including notifying, by devices that support event notification, all registered devices in the network of the at least one QoS event and its attributes.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein notifying further includes creating or forwarding a set of packets and frames containing a description and attribute information of the at least one QoS event.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the QoS event is defined as any event that affects the reliability or performance of the network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification is performed by a firmware update to computing components.

8. A system for improving resiliency in computing components functioning according to a multilayered Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model in a network architecture running Ethernet or Internet protocols, comprising:

at least one processor device, operable within the Ethernet fabric environment, wherein the at least one processor device;

upon detection of at least one transient quality of service (QoS) event associated with a network health within a specified layer of the network architecture, provides a notification of the event in an inter-layer basis, such that a responsible entity comprising an entity which detected the event manages the event by forwarding the notification describing the event to each device in the network architecture on the inter-layer basis according to an OSI model-wide system;

wherein forwarding the notification on the inter-layer basis further includes end port devices sending the notification, switch devices flooding the notification from all ports, and router devices broadcasting or multicasting the notification from all subnets thereby providing the notification on the inter-layer basis so as to notify at least all layer 2 and layer 3 devices in the network architecture of the detected at least one transient QoS event.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor device detects the at least one QoS event.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor device notifies, by devices that support event notification, a controlling entity of the at least one QoS event and its attributes.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor device notifies, by devices that support event notification, all registered devices in the network of the at least one QoS event and its attributes.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor device notifies, the notifying further including creating or forwarding a set of packets and frames containing a description and attribute information of the at least one QoS event.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the QoS event is defined as any event that affects the reliability or performance of the network.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the notification is performed by a firmware update to computing components.

15. A computer program product for improving resiliency in computing components functioning according to a multilayered Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model in a network architecture running Ethernet or Internet protocols by at least one processor device operable within the OSI model, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion that, upon detection of at least one transient quality of service (QoS) event associated with a network health within a specified layer of the network architecture, provides a notification of the event in an inter-layer basis, such that a responsible entity comprising an entity which detected the event manages the event by forwarding the notification describing the event to each device in the network architecture on the inter-layer basis according to an OSI model-wide system;

wherein forwarding the notification on the inter-layer basis further includes end port devices sending the notification, switch devices flooding the notification from all ports, and router devices broadcasting or multicasting the notification from all subnets thereby providing the notification on the inter-layer basis so as to notify at least all layer 2 and layer 3 devices in the network architecture of the detected at least one transient QoS event.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising a second executable portion that detects the at least one QoS event.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising a third executable portion that notifies, by devices that support event notification, a controlling entity of the at least one QoS event and its attributes.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising a third executable portion that notifies, by devices that support event notification, all registered devices in the network of the at least one QoS event and its attributes.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising a fourth executable portion that notifies, the notifying further including creating or forwarding a set of packets and frames containing a description and attribute information of the at least one QoS event.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the QoS event is defined as any event that affects the reliability or performance of the network.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the notification is performed by a firmware update to computing components.