SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING HIGH SPEED NETWORK TRAFFIC VIA SEQUENTIALLY MULTIPLEXED DATA STREAMS

• US 20080267192A1
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Elliott, John C., Lucas, Gregg S., Medlin, Robert E., Blinick, Katherine T., Washburn, Gordon L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,936,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.7
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 Errors, e.g. transmission errors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/555 Error detection

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring high-speed network traffic via sequentially multiplexed data streams. Exemplary embodiments include a switch module system, including a first switch module configured to be coupled to a first, server chassis, a first data port disposed on the first switch module and a set of first port data links configured to be coupled to a set of data port data links, each data link configurable to channel at least one of a normal data stream and a monitored data stream.

Claims

1. A switch module system, comprising:

a first switch module configured to be coupled to a first server chassis;

a first data port disposed on the first switch module; and

a set of first port data links configured to be coupled to additional sets of data port data links, each data link configurable to channel at least one of a normal data stream and a monitored data stream.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein a first data link is configured to receive channeled normal data streams routed from the first server chassis.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2 wherein a second and third data link are configured to channel monitored data streams.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the second data link channels a monitored data stream prior to input into the first switch module.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the third data link channels a monitored data stream output from the first switch module.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein a first data link is configured to receive a channeled failed data stream routed from a server disposed in the first server chassis.

7. The system as claimed in claim 2 wherein a second and third data link are configured to channel monitored data streams.

8. The system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the second data link channels a monitored data stream prior to input into the first switch module.

9. The system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the third data link channels a monitored data stream output from the first switch module.

10. The system as claimed in claim 6 wherein a fourth data link channels remaining normal data streams to a second switch module, wherein the first data port is configured to be coupled to a second data port disposed on the second switch module.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1 further composing a logic analyzer coupled to the first switch module for monitoring the monitored data streams.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a second switch module coupled to the first switch module via a subset of the set of data links; and

a logic analyzer coupled to the second switch module for monitoring the monitored data streams.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

independent server modules disposed in the first chassis;

a second switch module, wherein the first data port configured to be coupled to a second data port disposed on the second switch module;

a set of data links disposed between and coupled to the first switch module and the second switch module, a subset of the set of data links configured to receive monitored data streams and a second subset of data links configured to receive unaffected data streams; and

a logic analyzer disposed between the first and second switch modules and being configured to receive the monitored data streams.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, comprising:

configuring a multi-chassis system configured to support a server and a switch module to run data streams for the server and over the switch module;

detecting a data failure on at least one data link coupled to the switch module;

configuring a second and third data link coupled to the switch module, to receive monitored data streams; and

configuring at least one of the first data link and a fourth data link data link to support unaffected data streams.

15. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 14 wherein the method further comprises capturing the data failure on a logic analyzer.

16. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 15 wherein the method further comprises discarding the monitored data stream in a second switch module in response to an analysis of the monitored data stream by the logic analyzer.

17. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 15 wherein the logic analyzer is coupled to the switch module via a breakout cable, thereby receiving monitored data from the second and third data links.

18. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 15 wherein the method further comprises configuring a wide port on a second switch module to receive the monitored data streams from the second and third data links.

19. The computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 18 wherein the logic analyzer is coupled to a wide port on a second switch module, and is configured to receive the monitored data streams.

20. A switch module data monitoring method, comprising:

configuring a multi-chassis system to run data streams over a switch module interconnecting the multi-chassis system;

detecting a data failure on at least one data link coupled to the switch module;

configuring a second and third data link coupled to the switch module, to receive monitored data streams;

configuring at least one of the first data link and a fourth data link data link to support unaffected data streams; and

routing the monitored data streams to a logic analyzer.