METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR UTILIZING A RESERVED AND/OR OUT OF BAND CHANNEL FOR MAINTAINING A NETWORK CONNECTION

• US 20090097500A1
• Filed: 04/22/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Powell, Scott, Diab, Wael William
• Granted Patent: US 7,881,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/464
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/16 in which the time allocation to individual channels within a transmission cycle is variable, e.g. to accommodate varying complexity of signals, to vary number of channels transmitted H04J3/17, H04J3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40039 Details regarding the setting of the power status of a node according to activity on the bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40136 Nodes adapting their rate to the physical link properties LAN switches H04L49/351
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/20 Support for services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0091 Signaling for the administration of the divided path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

Aspects of a method and system for utilization of an reserved and/or out of band channel for maintaining a network connection are provided. In this regard, information relating to training of one or more link partners communicatively coupled to an Ethernet link may be exchanged via a reserved and/or out of band channel on the Ethernet link. The reserved and/or out of band channel may be an auxiliary channel as specified by the IEEE802.1AN standard. The reserved and/or out of band channel may be utilized for scheduling training of one or more of the link partners, determining which of the link partners require training, synchronizing training of the link partners, training the link partners based on changes in environmental conditions. The training may comprise configuring an echo canceller a far-end crosstalk canceller, and/or a near-end crosstalk canceller.

Claims

1. A method for networking, the method comprising:

for an Ethernet link comprising one or more channels, exchanging information pertaining to training of one or more link partners communicatively coupled to said Ethernet link via a reserved and/or out of band channel on said Ethernet link.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said reserved and/or out of band channel is an auxiliary channel as provided for in the IEEE802.1AN standard.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising scheduling training of said one or more link partners based on said exchanged information.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising determining which of said one or more link partners require said training based on said exchanged information.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising synchronizing said training of said one or more link partners based on said exchanged information.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising verifying and/or updating said one or more link partners, via said exchanged information, based on changes in environmental conditions.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising configuring an echo canceller in said one or more link partners based on said exchanged information.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising configuring a far-end crosstalk canceller in said one or more link partners based on said exchanged information.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising configuring a near-end crosstalk canceller in said one or more link partners based on said exchanged information.

10. A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having at least one code section for networking, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform steps comprising:

for an Ethernet link comprising one or more channels, exchanging information pertaining to training of one or more link partners communicatively coupled to said Ethernet link via reserved and/or out of band channel on said Ethernet link.

11. The machine-readable storage according to claim 10, wherein said reserved and/or out of band channel is an auxiliary channel as provided for in the IEEE802.1AN standard.

12. The machine-readable storage according to claim 10, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for scheduling training of said one or more link partners based on said exchanged information.

13. The machine-readable storage according to claim 10, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for determining which of said one or more link partners require said training based on said exchanged information.

14. The machine-readable storage according to claim 10, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for synchronizing said training of said one or more link partners based on said exchanged information.

15. The machine-readable storage according to claim 10, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for training said one or more link partners, via said exchanged information, based on changes in environmental conditions.

16. The machine-readable storage according to claim 10, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for configuring an echo canceller in said one or more link partners based on said exchanged information.

17. The machine-readable storage according to claim 10, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for configuring a far-end crosstalk canceller in said one or more link partners based on said exchanged information.

18. The machine-readable storage according to claim 10, wherein said at least one code section comprises code for configuring a near-end crosstalk canceller in said one or more link partners based on said exchanged information.

19. A system for networking, the system comprising:

one or more circuits in one or more link partners communicatively coupled to an Ethernet link, said Ethernet link comprising one or more channels, wherein said one or more circuits enables exchanging of information pertaining to training of said one or more link partners via reserved and/or out of band channel on said Ethernet link.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said reserved and/or out of band channel is an auxiliary channel as provided for in the IEEE802.1AN standard.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein said one or more circuits schedules training of said one or more link partners based on said exchanged information.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein said one or more circuits determines which of said one or more link partners require said training based on said exchanged information.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein said one or more circuits synchronizes said training of said one or more link partners based on said exchanged information.

24. The method according to claim 19, wherein said one or more circuits updates and/or verifies said one or more link partners, via said exchanged traffic, based on changes in environmental conditions.

25. The method according to claim 19, wherein said one or more circuits configures an echo canceller in said one or more link partners based on said exchanged information.

26. The method according to claim 19, wherein said one or more circuits configures a far-end crosstalk canceller in said one or more link partners based on said exchanged information.

27. The method according to claim 19, wherein said one or more circuits configures a near-end crosstalk canceller in said one or more link partners based on said exchanged information.