POOL-BASED NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20070121519A1
• Filed: 01/26/2007
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Finisar Corporation (II-VI Incorporated)
• Inventors: Foster, Craig, Cuni, Genti
• Granted Patent: US 8,259,587 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0609 based on severity or priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/18 Protocol analysers

Abstract

A networking system may include one or more nodes communicating with each other. The nodes may communicate via one or more links, which a switch or other structure may provide. The networking system may include one or more pools of at least one network diagnostic module. A network diagnostic module may test one or more links and may be configured to rove among a plurality of links. The networking system may include an alarm module.

Claims

1. A network diagnostic system comprising:

a control module configurable to trigger the sending of data from a first link of a plurality of links to a first diagnostic module of a pool of diagnostic modules;

to trigger the sending of data from a second link of the plurality of links to the first diagnostic module;

to trigger the sending of data from the first link to a second diagnostic module of the pool of diagnostic modules; and

to trigger the sending of data from the second link to the second diagnostic module.

2. The network diagnostic system as in claim 1, further comprising the plurality of links.

3. The network diagnostic system as in claim 2, wherein the plurality of links comprise a physical layer switch.

4. The network diagnostic system as in claim 3, wherein the physical layer switch is configured to couple a first network device with a second network device.

5. The network diagnostic system as in claim 1, further comprising the pool of diagnostic modules.

6. The network diagnostic system as in claim 5, wherein the pool of diagnostic modules includes a monitor.

7. The network diagnostic system as in claim 5, wherein the pool of diagnostic modules includes an analyzer.

8. The network diagnostic system as in claim 1, wherein the plurality of links comprise a physical layer switch, the control module being further configured to at least partially automatically direct the physical layer switch to commence copying communication occurring via a first set of one or more of the plurality of links;

to automatically at least partially direct the physical layer switch to cease copying the communication occurring via the first set of one or more of the plurality of links; and

to automatically at least partially direct the physical layer switch to commence copying communication occurring via a second set of one or more links of the plurality of links.

9. The network diagnostic system as in claim 8, wherein a switch control module integrated as part of the control module is configured to cause the physical layer switch to commence copying and to cease copying at the first set of one or more of the plurality of links and to commence copying at the second set of one or more of the plurality of links.

10. The network diagnostic system as in claim 1, wherein the control module is further configured to group the plurality of links into two or more groups of links, wherein the two or more groups are comprised of a number of the plurality of links that is less than the total number of the plurality of links.

11. The network diagnostic system as in claim 10, wherein the control module is further configured to associate a diagnostic module of the pool of diagnostic modules with a first group of the plurality of links, and wherein the diagnostic module associated with the first group is configured to substantially test only the links of the first group.

12. The network diagnostic system as in claim 1, wherein the control module is further configured to ascertain if a proper authorization key has been entered by a user;

to ascertain that identification data corresponding to the plurality of links is within predetermined values; and

to enable operation of the triggering upon ascertaining that the authorization key and identification data are proper.

13. The network diagnostic system as in claim 1, further comprising an alarm module configured to receive statistics at least partially generated by a first network diagnostic module;

to determine whether the statistics satisfy a set of conditions associated with a first alarm, the first alarm having a priority; and

to compare the priority of the first alarm and a priority of a second network diagnostic module.

14. The network diagnostic system as in claim 1, wherein the plurality of links comprise a physical layer switch and wherein the control module is configured to cause the triggering of data on any physical layer switch regardless of type or manufacturer.

15. The network diagnostic system as in claim 1, wherein the plurality of links comprise a plurality of physical layer switches interconnected to function as a single switch.

16. The network diagnostic system as in claim 15, wherein the pool of diagnostic modules is configured by the control module to monitor the plurality of physical layer switches interconnected to function as a single switch.

17. The network diagnostic system as in claim 1, wherein the network diagnostic system is associated with a Storage Area Network (SAN).

18. The network diagnostic system as in claim 1, wherein the network diagnostic system utilizes an optical communication medium.

19. The network diagnostic system as in claim 1, wherein the network diagnostic system utilizes an electrical communication medium.

20. The network diagnostic system as in claim 1, wherein the control module is implemented as one of software, hardware, or a combination of software or hardware on a host computing device.