DISCOVERING CONFIGURED TUNNELS BETWEEN NODES ON A PATH IN A DATA COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

• US 20090003223A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: McCallum, Gavin, Monaghan, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,111,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/244
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2212/00 Encapsulation of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/344 Out-of-band transfers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/50 using label swapping, e.g. multi-protocol label switch [MPLS]

Abstract

An apparatus and method are described for discovering a configured tunnel between nodes on a path in a data communications network. In an embodiment, an apparatus is arranged to remotely access at least one node on the path, identify whether a tunnel is configured on the access node and, if so, identify whether the identified tunnel has a fault.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

first logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution and when executed operable for discovering a configured tunnel between nodes on a path in a data communications network by remotely accessing at least one node on the path;

second logic which when executed is operable to identify whether a tunnel is configured on the accessed node; and

third logic which when executed is operable, when a tunnel is configured on the accessed node, to identify whether the identified tunnel has a fault.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising logic which when executed is operable to generate a fault report on a graphical user interface.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising logic which when executed is operable to discover tunnel components in an identified tunnel.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising logic which when executed is operable to determine if multiple tunnels are identified as configured on the accessed node, and further comprising logic which when executed is operable to identify whether each of the identified tunnels has a fault.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising logic which when executed is operable to first access an ingress node to a label switched path and to subsequently access at least one node downstream of the ingress node in the label switched path.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising logic which when executed is operable to obtain additional information relating to one or more of the nodes in an identified tunnel, in which the additional information includes at least one of tunnel identification, interface identification, and tunnel source and destination identification.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the node comprises one of a bridge, switch or router.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the tunnel comprises a multi-protocol label switching traffic engineered (MPLS TE) tunnel.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising logic which when executed is operable to identify whether the identified tunnel has a fault using a connectivity check across the tunnel.

10. A computer-implemented method of discovering a configured tunnel between nodes on a path in a data communications network, the method comprising:

remotely accessing at least one node on the path;

identifying whether a tunnel is configured on the accessed node; and

identifying whether the identified tunnel has a fault when a tunnel is configured on the accessed node.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 further comprising determining if multiple tunnels are identified as configured on the accessed node, and identifying whether each of the identified tunnels has a fault.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10 further comprising accessing an ingress node to a label switched path and subsequently accessing at least one node downstream of the ingress node in the label switched path.

13. A method as claimed in claim 10 further comprising obtaining additional information relating to one or more of the nodes in an identified tunnel, in which the additional information includes at least one of tunnel identification, interface identification, and tunnel source and destination identification.

14. A data processing apparatus configured for discovering a configured tunnel between nodes on a path in a data communications network, and comprising:

means for remotely accessing at least one node on the path;

means for identifying whether a tunnel is configured on the accessed node; and

means for identifying whether the identified tunnel has a fault when a tunnel is configured on the accessed node.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14 further comprising means for determining if multiple tunnels are identified as configured on the accessed node, and means for identifying whether each of the identified tunnels has a fault.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14 further comprising means for accessing an ingress node to a label switched path and means for subsequently accessing at least one node downstream of the ingress node in the label switched path.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14 further comprising means for obtaining additional information relating to one or more of the nodes in an identified tunnel, in which the additional information includes at least one of tunnel identification, interface identification, and tunnel source and destination identification.

18. A computer readable storage medium comprising one or more sequences of instructions for discovering a configured tunnel between nodes on a path in a data communications network and which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the more or more processors to perform:

remotely accessing at least one node on the path;

identifying whether a tunnel is configured on the accessed node; and

identifying whether the identified tunnel has a fault when a tunnel is configured on the accessed node.

19. A computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 18 further comprising instructions which when executed cause determining if multiple tunnels are identified as configured on the accessed node, and instructions which when executed cause identifying whether each of the identified tunnels has a fault.

20. A computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 18 further comprising instructions which when executed cause accessing an ingress node to a label switched path and instructions which when executed cause subsequently accessing at least one node downstream of the ingress node in the label switched path.

21. A computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 18 further comprising instructions which when executed cause obtaining additional information relating to one or more of the nodes in an identified tunnel, in which the additional information includes at least one of tunnel identification, interface identification, and tunnel source and destination identification.