Network Module For Sending And/Or Receiving Of Data Packages From A Network Arrangement And Method

• US 20170064049A1
• Filed: 08/24/2016
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
• Original Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
• Inventors: Meilinger, Jrgen, Schneider, Ulrich
• Granted Patent: US 10,104,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0268 Restoration of optical paths, e.g. p-cycles
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0283 WDM ring architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/437 Ring fault isolation or reconfiguration for SDH/SONET ring networks H04J3/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/663 Transport layer addresses, e.g. aspects of transmission control protocol [TCP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/102 using shared medium, e.g. bus or ring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/321 Interlayer communication protocols or service data unit [SDU] definitions; Interfaces between layers

Abstract

A network module for sending and/or receiving of data packages from a network arrangement located in a network with ring structure, wherein the data package includes at least one data package segment, a source address, a destination address and an identification number. The network module includes a first network interface and a second network interface, for receiving and/or sending of data packages via the ring structure, a processor configured to determine, based on the destination address, if data packages received are directed to the network module and to determine if the source address and/or the destination address are contained in a predefined list of the network participants, to determine, based on the source address and the identification number, if a copy of a data package directed to the network module is already created in a memory, to create a copy of the data package in the memory.

Claims

1. A network module for sending and/or receiving of data packages from a network arrangement provided in a network with ring structure, wherein the data package comprises at least one data package segment, a source address, a destination address and an identification number, the network module comprising:

a first network interface for receiving and/or sending of data packages via the ring structure;

a second network interface for receiving and/or sending of data packages via the ring structure;

a processor configured to determine, based on the destination address, if data packages received with the first network interface and/or the second network interface are directed to the network module and to determine if the source address and/or the destination address are contained in a predefined list of the network participants,

wherein the processor is further configured to determine, based on the source address and the identification number, if a copy of a data package directed to the network module is already created in a memory,

wherein the processor is further configured to create a copy of the data package as well as the source address and the identification number in the memory if the determination results in that the received data package is directed to the network module and a copy of the data package has not yet been created in the memory, and

wherein the processor is further configured to unpack the data package segment comprising at least one header and a payload from the created copy of the data package and to provide the data package segment to an application.

2. The network module of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to forward a data package received by the first network interface via the second network interface on the ring structure and/or to forward a data package received by the second network interface via the first network interface on the ring structure if it is determined that the source address of the data package does not correspond with the source address of the network module.

3. The network module of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine if the received data package is complete and/or contains a defect;

and is configured to provide the data package with a defect flag if the determination results in that the data package is incomplete or has a defect.

4. The network module of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to discard a received data package if it is determined that the data package comprises a defect flag.

5. The network module of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to discard a received data package if it is determined that the source address of the data package corresponds with the source address of the network module.

6. The network module of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a data package segment from an application and to generate a data package wherein the data package comprises the data package segment, the source address of the network module, a destination address and an identification number.

7. The network module of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to create a copy of the generated data package.

8. The network module of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to buffer the received data package segment and/or the generated data package and/or a copy of the generated data package in a memory.

9. The network module of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to send the generated data package and the copy of the generated data package via the first network interface or the second network interface to the ring structure.

10. The network module of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to send the generated data package and the copy of the generated data package according to a predefined sending pattern.

11. The network module of claim 1, wherein the data package segment is a UDP package.

12. The network module of claim 1, wherein the ring structure is of a HSR topology.

13. The network module of claim 1, wherein the application receives and/or provides data according to the ADFX protocol.

14. A method for receiving of data packages from a network arrangement provided in a network with ring structure, wherein the data package comprises at least one data package segment, a source address, a destination address and an identification number, the method comprising:

receiving data packages via a first network interface or a second network interface from the ring structure;

determining, based on the destination address, if data packages received with the first and/or the second network interface are directed to the network module;

determining if the source address and/or the destination address are contained in a predefined list of the network participants;

determining, based on the source address and the identification number of the data package, if a copy of a data package directed to the network module is already created in a memory;

creating a copy of the data package, of the source address and of the identification number of the data package in the memory if the determination results in that the received data package is directed to the network module and a copy of the data package has not yet been created in the memory;

unpacking the data package segment comprising at least one header and a payload from the created copy of the data package; and

providing the data package segment to an application.

15. A method for sending of data package segments from an application via a network module to a network arrangement in a ring structure, the method comprising:

receiving the data package segment comprising at least one header and a payload;

generating a data package, wherein the data package comprises the data package segment, the source address of the sending network module, a destination address of the network arrangement and an identification number;

creating a copy of the generated data package; and

sending the generated data package and the copy of the generated data package via a first or a second network interface of the network module to the ring structure according to a predefined sending pattern.