Apparatus for multi-level loopback test in a community network system and method therefor
First Claim
1. A method for a multi-level loopback test wherein a loopback test device is installed between an Ethernet switch in a community and a community network system in a central office so that during the loopback test on the community network system in the central office, the loopback test device is operated by the network management system to perform the steps of:
- (a) in a first level of the loopback test, commanding the network management system to issue at least one special BPDU (Bridge Protocol Data Unit) packet wherein it is determined whether a reply packet has been received from the loopback test device within a predetermined period of time, if yes and it is determined whether information contained in the reply packet shows that an I/O port of the loopback test device is normally coupled to an Ethernet switch in the community, and if the reply packet has not been received from the loopback test device within the predetermined period of time, it means that there is a disconnection between the network management system in the central office and the loopback test device; and
(b) in a second level of the loopback test, the network management system in the central office issuing at least one special BPDU packet wherein it is determined whether all of the packets sent to the I/O port from the network management system in the central office are sent back to the network management system in the central office without having any change, if yes, it means that there is a disconnection between the loopback test device and the Ethernet switch in the community or the Ethernet switch in the community is faulty, and otherwise if not all of the packets sent to the I/O port from the network management system in the central office are sent back to the network management system in the central office, it means that the loopback test device is faulty.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is an apparatus for multi-level loopback test in a community network system and method therefor, in which a loopback test device is installed between an Ethernet switch in a community and a central office so that the loopback test device can be utilized by network management system in central office to perform a three-level loopback test on the community network system to easily obtain the information of whether there is a fault between central office and loopback test device, whether the connection of Ethernet switch is good, and whether loopback test device operates normally.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method for a multi-level loopback test wherein a loopback test device is installed between an Ethernet switch in a community and a community network system in a central office so that during the loopback test on the community network system in the central office, the loopback test device is operated by the network management system to perform the steps of:
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(a) in a first level of the loopback test, commanding the network management system to issue at least one special BPDU (Bridge Protocol Data Unit) packet wherein it is determined whether a reply packet has been received from the loopback test device within a predetermined period of time, if yes and it is determined whether information contained in the reply packet shows that an I/O port of the loopback test device is normally coupled to an Ethernet switch in the community, and if the reply packet has not been received from the loopback test device within the predetermined period of time, it means that there is a disconnection between the network management system in the central office and the loopback test device; and
(b) in a second level of the loopback test, the network management system in the central office issuing at least one special BPDU packet wherein it is determined whether all of the packets sent to the I/O port from the network management system in the central office are sent back to the network management system in the central office without having any change, if yes, it means that there is a disconnection between the loopback test device and the Ethernet switch in the community or the Ethernet switch in the community is faulty, and otherwise if not all of the packets sent to the I/O port from the network management system in the central office are sent back to the network management system in the central office, it means that the loopback test device is faulty. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An apparatus for a multi-level loopback test installed between an Ethernet switch in a community and a community network system in a central office, the apparatus comprising:
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at least two I/O ports;
an Ethernet control circuit having one end coupled to the Ethernet switch in the community via one I/O port and the other end coupled to the central office via the other I/O port so that the Ethernet control circuit is operative to cause the I/O ports to operate normally and control a conversion or buffer in a full or half duplex mode; and
a packet transmission and receiving control circuit formed of an integrated circuit for performing a loopback test, a packet generation, and a packet reply, the packet transmission and receiving control circuit being coupled to the Ethernet control circuit;
wherein a network management system in the central office performs the loopback test on the community network system, when the Ethernet control circuit receives at least one special BPDU packet sent from the network management system, the Ethernet control circuit will send the same to the packet transmission and receiving control circuit, and in response, the packet transmission and receiving control circuit changes a source address of the BPDU packet into a specific source address which is in turn sent back to the network management system in the central office via the Ethernet control circuit so that the network management system in the central office is capable of determining whether a communication line is faulty or not and determining whether the I/O port is normally coupled to the Ethernet switch in the community. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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Specification