Accessing results of network diagnostic functions in a distributed system

• US 20050050189A1
• Filed: 11/07/2003
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: JDS Uniphase Corporation (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Yang, Harold (Haoran)
• Granted Patent: US 7,805,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

The principles of the present invention extend to accessing results of network diagnostic functions in a distributed system. A chassis allocates resources for performing a network diagnostic function directly to requesting computer system. The requesting computer system communicates directly with the allocated resources to initiate the network diagnostic function. The network diagnostic test continues to execute even if the requesting computer system subsequently malfunctions. Collected test results are stored at the chassis such that any network connectable computer system can access the collected test results. A monitoring computer system (which may or may not be the requesting computer system) requests collected test results corresponding to the network diagnostic function. The chassis identifies appropriate test results and returns the results to the monitoring computer system.

Claims

1. In a requesting computer system that is network connectable to one or more chasses that each include one or more network diagnostic modules, a method for implementing a network diagnostic function, the method comprising the acts of:

sending a resource allocation request to a chassis from among the one or more chasses, the resource allocation request requesting that resources be allocated for implementing a network diagnostic function;

receiving an indication of the chassis resources that were allocated for implementing the network diagnostic function; and

sending function initiation instructions directly to an allocated resource, the function initiation instructions instructing the allocated resource to implement the network diagnostic function and collect results generated by the network diagnostic function.

2. The method as recited claim 1, wherein the act of sending a resource allocation request to a chassis from among the one or more chasses comprises an act of sending an electronic message to the chassis.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of receiving an indication of the chassis resources that were allocated for implementing the network diagnostic function comprises an act of receiving an indication that a blade was allocated for implementing the network diagnostic function.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of receiving an indication of the chassis resources that were allocated for implementing the network diagnostic function comprises an act of receiving an indication that a one or more test ports were allocated for implementing the network diagnostic function.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of sending function initiation instructions directly to an allocated control resource comprises an act of sending function initiation instructions directly to a blade contained in the chassis.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the acts of:

sending a results request directly to a results gathering resource at the chassis, the results request requesting results generated by the network diagnostic function, the results gathering resource being allocated to the network diagnostic function;

receiving results generated by the network diagnostic function, the results being received directly from the results gathering resource; and

presenting the received resources at a user-interface.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein sending a results request directly to a results gathering resource at the chassis comprises an act of sending a results request directly to a blade contained in the chassis.

8. In a monitoring computer system that is network connectable to one or more chasses that each include one or more network diagnostic modules, a method for accessing results for a network diagnostic function, the method comprising the acts of:

sending a results request directly to a results gathering resource at a chassis from among the one or more chasses, the results request requesting results generated by the network diagnostic function, the results gathering resource being allocated to the network diagnostic function;

receiving results generated by the network diagnostic function, the results being received directly from the results gathering resource; and

presenting the received resources at a user-interface.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the act of sending a results request directly to a results gathering resource at a chassis from among the one or more chasses comprises an act of sending an electronic message.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the act of sending a results request directly to a results gathering resource at a chassis from among the one or more chasses comprises an act of sending a results request directly to a blade contained in the chassis.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the act of receiving results generated by the network diagnostic function comprises an act of deserializing one or more objects containing logs and/or statistics generated by the network diagnostic function.

12. In a chassis that is network connectable to one or more computer systems, a method for configuring chassis resources to a implement a network diagnostic function and collect results generated by the network diagnostic function, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving a resource allocation request from a requesting computer system from among the one or more computer systems, the resource allocation request requesting chassis resources be allocated for implementing a network diagnostic function;

allocating chassis resources for implementing the network diagnostic function;

sending an indication of the allocated chassis resources to the requesting computer system;

receiving function initiation instructions directly at an allocated resource;

the allocated resource initiating the network diagnostic function in accordance with the function initiation instructions; and

the allocated resource collecting results generated by the network diagnostic function.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the act of allocating chassis resources for performing the network diagnostic function comprises allocating a blade to perform the network diagnostic function.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the act of allocating chassis resources for performing the network diagnostic function comprises allocating one or more test ports to perform the network diagnostic function.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein act of the allocated resource collecting results generated by the network diagnostic function comprises an act of a blade collecting results generated by the network diagnostic function.

16. In a chassis that is network connectable to one or more computer systems, a method for returning results generated by a network diagnostic function, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving function initiation instructions directly at an allocated resource, the initiation instructions being sent from a requesting computer system;

the allocated resource initiating the network diagnostic function in accordance with the function initiation instructions;

the allocated resource collecting results generated by the network diagnostic function;

the allocated resource receiving a results request from a monitoring computer system, the results request requesting results generated by the network diagnostic function;

the allocated resource identifying results that correspond to the network diagnostic function; and

returning the identified results to the monitoring computer system.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein that act of the allocated resource initiating the network diagnostic function comprises an act of a blade interoperating with one or more test ports to implement the network diagnostic function.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein that act of the allocated resource initiating the network diagnostic function comprises an act of loading and/or executing a bit file.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the act of the allocated resource collecting results generated by the network diagnostic function comprises an act of populating one or more objects with statistics and/or logs.

20. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the act of the allocated resource receiving a results request from a monitoring computer system comprises an act of receiving a results request from the requesting computer system.

21. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the act of returning the identified results to the monitoring computer system comprises an act of serializing one or more objects that contained statistics and/or logs.

22. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the requesting computer system and the monitoring computer system are the same computer system.

23. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the requesting computer system and the monitoring computer system are different computer systems.

24. A computer program product for use in a computer system that is network connectable to one or more chasses, each chassis including one or more network diagnostic modules, the computer program product for implementing a method for implementing a network diagnostic function, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the computer system to perform the following:

send a resource allocation request to a chassis from among the one or more chasses, the resource allocation request requesting that resources be allocated for implementing a network diagnostic function;

receive an indication of the chassis resources that were allocated for implementing the network diagnostic function; and

send function initiation instructions directly to an allocated resource, the function initiation instructions instructing the allocated resource to implement the network diagnostic function and collect results generated by the network diagnostic function.

25. A computer program product for use in a computer system that is network connectable to one or more chasses, each chassis including one or more network diagnostic modules, the computer program product for implementing a method for accessing results generated by a network diagnostic function, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the computer system to perform the following:

send a results request directly to a results gathering resource at a chassis from among the one or more chasses, the results request requesting results generated by the network diagnostic function, the results gathering resource being allocated to the network diagnostic function;

receive results generated by the network diagnostic function, the results being received directly from the results gathering resource; and

present the received resources at a user-interface.

26. A computer program product for use in a chassis that is network connectable to one or more computer systems, the computer program product for implementing a method for configuring chassis resources to implement a network diagnostic function and collect results generated by the network diagnostic function, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause components of the chassis to perform the following

receive a resource allocation request from a requesting computer system from among the one or more computer systems, the resource allocation request requesting chassis resources be allocated for implementing a network diagnostic function;

allocate chassis resources for implementing the network diagnostic function;

send an indication of the allocated chassis resources to the requesting computer system;

receive function initiation instructions directly at an allocated resource;

initiate the network diagnostic function in accordance with the function initiation instructions; and

collect results generated by the network diagnostic function.