Devices and methods of using link status to determine node availability
First Claim
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1. An inter-networking device comprising:
- a plurality of ports, wherein each port is operable to communicatively couple the inter-networking device to a respective ETHERNET segment; and
ETHERNET link-integrity test functionality to determine a link status of a first port included in the plurality of ports;
wherein the inter-networking device monitors the link status of the first port;
wherein when the link status of the first port changes, the inter-networking device sends update information to at least one port included in the plurality of ports other than the first port indicating that the link status of the first port has changed.
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Abstract
An inter-networking device comprises a plurality of ports. Each port is operable to communicatively couple the inter-networking device to a respective ETHERNET segment. The inter-networking device further comprises ETHERNET link-integrity test functionality to determine a link status of a first port included in the plurality of ports. The inter-networking device monitors the link status of the first port. When the link status of the first port changes, the inter-networking device sends update information to at least one port included in the plurality of ports other than the first port indicating that the link status of the first port has changed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An inter-networking device comprising:
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a plurality of ports, wherein each port is operable to communicatively couple the inter-networking device to a respective ETHERNET segment; and
ETHERNET link-integrity test functionality to determine a link status of a first port included in the plurality of ports;
wherein the inter-networking device monitors the link status of the first port;
wherein when the link status of the first port changes, the inter-networking device sends update information to at least one port included in the plurality of ports other than the first port indicating that the link status of the first port has changed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system comprising:
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a plurality of nodes;
an inter-networking device comprising a plurality of ports, wherein each port is operable to communicatively couple the inter-networking device to a respective ETHERNET segment, wherein each ETHERNET segment is coupled to a respective one of the plurality of nodes;
wherein the inter-networking device comprises ETHERNET link-integrity test functionality to determine a link status of a first port included in the plurality of ports;
wherein the inter-networking device monitors the link status of the first port;
wherein when the link status of the first port changes, the inter-networking device sends update information on at least one of the plurality of ports other than the first port indicating that the link status of the first port has changed. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method comprising:
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monitoring an ETHERNET link status of a first ETHERNET port included in a plurality of ETHERNET ports of an inter-networking device; and
when the link status of the first ETHERNET port changes, sending update information on at least one of the plurality of ETHERNET ports other than the first ETHERNET port;
wherein the update information is used to determine if a node coupled to the first port of the inter-networking device is available via the inter-networking device. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A node comprising:
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an ETHERNET interface to communicatively couple the node to an ETHERNET segment that is coupled to one of a plurality of ports of an ETHERNET inter-networking device;
software operable to cause the node to;
maintain availability information that is indicative of the link status of at least one of the plurality of ports of the ETHERNET inter-networking device, wherein the availability information is updated using update information sent by the ETHERNET inter-networking device when the link status of at least one of the plurality of ETHERNET ports changes; and
use the availability information to determine if another node coupled to the ETHERNET inter-networking device is available via the ETHERNET inter-networking device. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method comprising:
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maintaining availability information at a node, wherein the availability information is indicative of the link status of at least one of a plurality of ETHERNET ports of an ETHERNET inter-networking device to which the node is communicatively coupled;
updating the availability information using update information sent by the ETHERNET inter-networking device when the link status of at least one of the plurality of ETHERNET ports changes;
associating at least one other node with a respective one of the plurality of ETHERNET ports of the ETHERNET inter-networking device; and
using the availability information to determine if another node coupled to the ETHERNET inter-networking device is available via the ETHERNET inter-networking device. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification