METHODS, SYSTEMS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR USING TIME DOMAIN REFLECTOMETRY SIGNATURES TO MONITOR NETWORK COMMUNICATION LINES

• US 20090175195A1
• Filed: 01/07/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: CommScope Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CommScope Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Macauley, Daniel Warren
• Application Number:
  US11/970,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20090175195A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/11 using pulse reflection methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/136 having patch field management or physical layer management arrangements

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products for uniquely identifying communication lines in a network via time domain reflectometry (TDR) signatures are provided. A pulsed signal is sent into a communication line through a patch panel connector port and a reflection of the pulsed signal through the patch panel connector port is received to obtain a TDR signature for each communication line. The pulsed signal is sent and received by a controller operatively associated with the patch panel and/or by a network switch in communication with the patch panel. Connection changes and/or communication line faults at a network patch panel are detected by comparing current and stored TDR signatures.

Claims

1. A method of uniquely identifying communication lines in a network, comprising obtaining individual time domain reflectometry (TDR) signatures for respective communication lines in the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each communication line has one end that terminates at a user connector port and an opposite end that terminates at a patch panel connector port.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein obtaining a TDR signature comprises sending a pulsed signal into a communication line through a patch panel connector port and receiving a reflection of the pulsed signal through the patch panel connector port.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein obtaining individual TDR signatures is performed by a controller operatively associated with the patch panel and/or by a network switch in communication with the patch panel.

24. A computer program product for uniquely identifying communication lines in a network, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code being configured to carry out the method of claim 1.

5. A method of monitoring a network, wherein the network includes a plurality of communication lines, each communication line having an end that terminates at a respective user connector port and an opposite end that terminates at a respective patch panel connector port, and a plurality of patch cords configured to selectively connect pairs of the patch panel connector ports, the method comprising:

executing a time domain reflectometry (TDR) test on a communication line to obtain a current TDR signature for the communication line;

comparing the current TDR signature with a stored TDR signature for the communication line; and

identifying a connection change to the communication line and/or a fault in the communication line in response to determining that the current TDR signature is different from the stored TDR signature.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining whether an identified connection change is an authorized change.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising parking a patch panel connector port associated with the communication line and/or generating a work order in response to determining that an identified connection change is not authorized.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising parking a patch panel connector port associated with the communication line and/or generating a work order in response to identifying a connection change to the communication line and/or a fault in the communication line.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the TDR test is performed by a controller operatively associated with the patch panel.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the TDR test is performed by a network switch in communication with the patch panel.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising notifying an administrator that the current TDR signature is different from the stored TDR signature for the communication line.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying the connection change comprises using the current TDR signature to identify a connection path for the communication line.

25. A computer program product for monitoring a network, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code being configured to carry out the method of claim 5.

13. A network system, comprising:

a patch panel comprising a plurality of connector ports that are connected to respective individual communication lines;

one or more patch cords, each configured to selectively connect respective pairs of patch panel connector ports; and

a network switch operatively associated with the patch panel that is configured to execute a time domain reflectometry (TDR) test on a communication line to obtain a current TDR signature for the communication line, to compare the current TDR signature with a stored TDR signature for the communication line, and to identify a connection change to the communication line and/or a fault in the communication line in response to determining that the current TDR signature is different from the stored TDR signature.

14. The network system of claim 13, wherein the network switch is configured to determine whether the identified connection change is an authorized change.

15. The network system of claim 13, wherein the network switch is configured to park a patch panel connector port associated with the communication line in response to determining that the identified connection change is not authorized.

16. The network system of claim 13, wherein the network switch is configured to park a patch panel connector port associated with the communication line in response to identifying a connection change to the communication line and/or a fault in the communication line.

17. The network system of claim 13, wherein the network switch is configured to use the current TDR signature to identify a connection path for the communication line.

18. A network system, comprising:

a patch panel comprising a plurality of connector ports that are connected to respective individual communication lines;

one or more patch cords, each configured to selectively connect respective pairs of patch panel connector ports; and

a controller operatively associated with the patch panel that is configured to execute a time domain reflectometry (TDR) test on a communication line to obtain a current TDR signature for the communication line, to compare the current TDR signature with a stored TDR signature for the communication line, and to identify a connection change to the communication line and/or a fault in the communication line in response to determining that the current TDR signature is different from the stored TDR signature.

19. The network system of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the identified connection change is an authorized change.

20. The network system of claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to park a patch panel connector port associated with the communication line and/or generate a work order in response to determining that the identified connection change is not authorized.

21. A network system, comprising:

a patch panel comprising a plurality of connector ports that are connected to respective individual communication lines;

a controller operatively associated with the patch panel that is configured to execute a time domain reflectometry (TDR) test on each communication line to obtain a respective TDR signature for each communication line, wherein the controller is configured to obtain a TDR signature for a communication line by sending a pulsed signal into the communication line through a patch panel connector port and receiving a reflection of the pulsed signal through the patch panel connector port; and

a database that stores the TDR signatures.

22. A network system, comprising:

a patch panel comprising a plurality of connector ports that are connected to respective individual communication lines;

a network switch operatively associated with the patch panel that is configured to execute a time domain reflectometry (TDR) test on each communication line to obtain a respective TDR signature for each communication line; and

a database that stores the TDR signatures.

23. The network system of claim 22, wherein the network switch is configured to obtain a TDR signature for a communication line by sending a pulsed signal into the communication line through a patch panel connector port and receiving a reflection of the pulsed signal through the patch panel connector port.