NETWORK PATH IDENTIFICATION

• US 20080101250A1
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Darda M., McGEE, Michael Sean, Madhi, Nambi
• Granted Patent: US 8,614,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/14 Monitoring arrangements for SDH/SONET rings H04J3/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13003 Constructional details of switching devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13109 Initializing, personal profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 LAN, internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13399 Virtual channel/circuits

Abstract

A method is implemented in a network that comprises a plurality of ports and an indicator associated with each port The method comprises forming a frame The frame passes through the network. The frame causes indicators of multiple ports to illuminate to provide an indication of a path through the network Each of the ports remain illuminated for at least a period of time after the frame passes through each such port to enable a person to concurrently visualize all of the ports comprising the path.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a network comprising a plurality of ports, an indicator associated with each port, comprising:

forming a frame;

said frame passing through said network; and

said frame causing indicators of multiple ports to illuminate to provide an indication of a path through said network;

wherein each of said multiple ports remain illuminated for at least a period of time after said frame passes through each such port, whereby a person may concurrently observe all of said ports comprising said path.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said frame causing said indicators to illuminate comprises causing an indicator associated with each port in said network through which the frame passes to illuminate.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said frame causing said indicators to illuminate comprises causing indicators associated with all root ports to illuminate, each root port being a port of a network switch through which frames can be sent toward a root node.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said frame causing indicators to illuminate comprises causing some or all active ports in said network to illuminate.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said frame causing indicators to illuminate comprises causing indicators of ports along a network path to a specified address to illuminate.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said frame causing indicators to illuminate comprises causing indicators on some or all ports in said network to illuminate that are registered for a specified multicast stream.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said frame causing indicators to illuminate comprises causing at least some ports in a specified virtual local area network (VLAN) to be illuminated.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming a reply frame that indicates status associated with the indicator.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising each of a plurality of switches receiving said frame, causing at least one indicator of said switch to illuminate and then forwarding the frame on to another of said plurality of switches which causes an indictor to illuminate.

13. The network of claim 9 wherein said frame causing indicators to illuminate comprises causing indicators on all ports in said network to illuminate that are registered for a specified multicast stream.

10. A network, comprising:

one or more switches, each switch having a plurality of ports, each port having an associated indicator, and at least one switch operable to couple to a server; and

wherein at least one switch is operable to receive a frame from a server, said packet causing the one or more switches that receive the frame to illuminate indicators of multiple ports to provide an indication of a path through said network; and

wherein each of said multiple ports remain illuminated for at least a period of time after said frame passes through each such port, whereby a person may concurrently observe all of said ports comprising said path.

11. The network of claim 10 wherein said frame causes indicators associated with all root ports in said network, to illuminate, each root port being a port of a switch through which frames can be sent toward a root node.

12. The network of claim 10 wherein said frame causing indicators to illuminate comprises causing indicators of ports along a network path to a specified address to illuminate.

14. The network of claim 10 wherein the frame specifies a blink rate for each indicator the frame causes to be illuminated.

15. A computer readable medium containing software that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

provide a plurality of selectable options to a user, wherein said selectable options comprise at least a first option to visually identify ports along a path through a network;

in response to user selection of said first option, forming a frame to be routed through the network, said frame causing indicators of multiple ports to illuminate to provide a visual indication of said path through said network.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein said options also comprise an option to visually identify root ports only in said network.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein said options also comprise an option to visually identify all active ports in said network.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein said options also comprise an option to visually identify all ports along a network path to a specified address.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein said first option causes ports along said path through which said frame passes to illuminate.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein said software also permits a user to select a blink rate or color of visual indicators in said network to visually indicate said path.