Method and apparatus for monitoring a dedicated communications medium in a switched data network

• US 5,898,837 A
• Filed: 09/27/1996
• Issued: 04/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bay Networks, Inc. (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Guttman, Shlomo, Moskovich, Reuven
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thompson, Marc D.
• Application Number:
  US08/722,609
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.53, 395/200.59, 395/200.54, 395/200.5, 395/200.61, 395/200.79, 395/750.08, 395/183.17, 395/183.19, 395/183.2, 395/200.69, 370/217, 370/251, 370/226, 370/245, 370/247, 370/221, 370/224
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes

Abstract

A method and apparatus for monitoring the performance of a dedicated communications medium in a switched data networking environment wherein a probe having a bypass circuit allows promiscuous monitoring of all traffic between a switch and a network device, such as a file server, in either direction, and in full duplex mode. Additionally, the bypass circuit eliminates the requirement for a separate repeater between the switch and the network device.

Claims

1. A probe comprising:

a first port to communicatively couple with a first communications medium;

a second port to communicatively couple with a second communications medium;

a bypass circuit to forward communications from the first port to the second port when power to the probe is interrupted, said bypass circuit comprising a relay to alternately couple the first port and the second port to a repeater, or the first port to the second port; and

a monitor to couple to the repeater to monitor the communications forwarded from the first port to the second port via the repeater when power to the probe is not interrupted.

2. The probe in claim 1, wherein the repeater is to receive the communications from the first port via the relay, to repeat the communications to the monitor, and to repeat the communications to the second port via the relay when the probe is in a monitor mode.

3. The probe in claim 2, wherein the probe is in the monitor mode when power is applied to the probe.

4. The probe in claim 1, wherein the relay is to receive the communications from the first port and forward the communications to the second port, bypassing the repeater and the monitor, when the probe is in a bypass mode.

5. The probe in claim 4 wherein the probe is in the bypass mode when power is not applied to the probe.

6. A probe comprising:

a first port to communicatively couple with a first network device;

a second port to communicatively couple with a second network device;

a bypass circuit to couple the first port to the second port to forward communications received from the first network device via the first port to the second network device via the second port when power to the probe is interrupted, said bypass circuit comprising a relay to alternately couple the first port to the second port, or the first port and the second port to a repeater; and

a monitor to couple to the repeater to receive and monitor the communications forwarded from the first port to the second port via the repeater when the power to the probe is not interrupted.

7. The probe in claim 6 wherein the relay is inactive when power is not applied to the probe, such that the repeater does not receive and forward to the monitor the communications forwarded from the first port to the second port.