Diagnostic Port for Inter-Switch Link Testing in Electrical, Optical and Remote Loopback Modes

• US 20160308606A1
• Filed: 06/27/2016
• Published: 10/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Skirmont, David Aaron, Buragohain, Saumitra, Wusirika, Balakrishna, Kollu, Badrinath, Kim, Kyuh
• Granted Patent: US 9,998,215 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/073 using an out-of-service signal H04B10/071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/077 using a supervisory or additional signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0773 Network aspects, e.g. central monitoring of transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0775 Performance monitoring and measurement of transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0779 Monitoring line transmitter or line receiver equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/079 using measurements of the data signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0793 Network aspects, e.g. central monitoring of transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0795 Performance monitoring; Measurement of transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0799 Monitoring line transmitter or line receiver equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25 Arrangements specific to fibre transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/27 Arrangements for networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0062 Network aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0083 Testing; Monitoring

Abstract

A diagnostic testing utility is used to perform single link diagnostics tests including an electrical loopback test, an optical loopback test, a link traffic test, and a link distance measurement test. To perform the diagnostic tests, two ports at each end of a link are identified and then statically configured by a user. The ports will be configured as D_Ports and as such will be isolated from the fabric with no data traffic flowing through them. The ports will then be used to send test frames to perform the diagnostic tests.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a processor;

a media interface module; and

a network port coupled to the processor and the media interface module;

wherein the media interface module is configured to;

receive a command to perform an electrical loopback test after entering a diagnostic mode;

receive incoming electrical signals for the electrical loopback test from the processor;

perform a loopback of the incoming electrical signals;

receive a second command to perform an optical loopback test after completing the electrical loopback test;

receive incoming optical signals for the optical loopback test from a second media interface module; and

perform a loopback of the incoming optical signals.

2. The device of claim i, wherein the media interface module is further configured to:

receive a third command to perform a second optical loopback test after completing the optical loopback test; and

transmit an outgoing optical signal to the second media interface module for performing the second optical loopback test.

3. The device of claim i, wherein the media interface module is further configured to:

receive a third command to perform a link frame test after completing the optical loopback test;

receive a plurality of test frames for the link frame test from the second media interface module; and

retransmit the plurality of test frames to the second media interface module.

4. The device of claim i, wherein the network port is configured to detect an on-and-off toggling of a second network port associated with the second media interface module to indicate the optical loopback test is complete.

5. The device of claim i, wherein the network port is configured to perform an on-and-off toggling to indicate the electrical loopback test is complete.

6. The device of claim i, wherein the device is a switch or a host bus adaptor.

7. The device of claim i, wherein the network port and media interface module conform to Fibre Channel standards.

8. The device of claim i, wherein the media interface module is further configured to:

receive a ready frame indicating the second media interface module is ready to perform the optical loopback test; and

return, in response to the diagnostic frame, a response frame indicating the media interface module is ready to perform the optical loopback test.

9. A network comprising:

a first device including a first processor coupled to a network port and a first media interface module;

a second device including a second processor coupled to a second network port and a second media interface module; and

a link connected to the first device media interface module and the second device media interface module;

wherein the second media interface module is configured to;

receive a command to perform an electrical loopback test after entering a diagnostic mode;

receive incoming electrical signals for the electrical loopback test from the second processor;

perform a loopback of the incoming electrical signals;

receive a second command to perform an optical loopback test after completing the electrical loopback test;

receive incoming optical signals for the optical loopback test from the first media interface module; and

perform a loopback of the incoming optical signals.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second media interface module is further configured to perform the optical loopback test when the electrical loopback test passes.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the second media interface module is further configured to:

receive a third command to perform a second optical loopback test after completing the optical loopback test; and

transmit an outgoing optical signal to the first media interface module for performing the second optical loopback test.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the second media interface module is further configured to:

receive a third command to perform a link frame test after completing the optical loopback test;

receive a plurality of test frames for the link frame test from the second media interface module; and

retransmit the plurality of test frames to the second media interface module.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the second network port is configured to perform an on-and-off toggling to indicate the electrical loopback test is complete to the network port.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the second network port is configured to detect an on-and-off toggling of the network port to indicate the optical loopback test is complete.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the second media interface module is further configured to:

receive a ready frame indicating the first media interface module is ready to perform the optical loopback test; and

return, in response to the ready frame, a response frame indicating the second media interface module is ready to perform the optical loopback test.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, at a media interface module, a command to perform an electrical loopback test after entering a diagnostic mode;

receiving, at the media interface module, incoming electrical signals for the electrical loopback test from the processor;

performing, using the media interface module, a loopback of the incoming electrical signals;

receiving, at the media interface module, a second command to perform an optical loopback test after completing the electrical loopback test;

receiving, at the media interface module, incoming optical signals for the optical loopback test from a second media interface module; and

performing, using the media interface module, a loopback of the incoming optical signals.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, at the media interface module, a third command to perform a second optical loopback test after completing the optical loopback test; and

transmitting, using the media interface module, outgoing optical signals to the second media interface module for performing the second optical loopback test.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising performing an on-and-off toggling at a network port associated with the media interface module to indicate the electrical loopback test is complete.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising detecting an on-and-off toggling to indicate the optical loopback test is complete.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving, at the media interface module, a third command to perform a link frame test after completing the optical loopback test;

receiving, at the media interface module, a plurality of test frames for the link frame test from the second media interface module; and

retransmitting, using the media interface module, the plurality of test frames to the second media interface module.