System and method for virtual circuit backup in a communication network

• US 6,311,288 B1
• Filed: 05/28/1998
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Paradyne Corporation (Dasan Networks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mundwiler, Richard A., Hassell, Suzanne, Heeren, Theodore E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Norman M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Revak, Christopher A.
• Application Number:
  US09/085,702
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 714/1, 714/2, 714/4, 714/40, 714/43, 709/227, 709/228, 709/239, 370/216, 370/217, 370/218, 370/221, 370/225, 370/409, 370/397, 370/399
• US Class Current: 714/4.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/74 for increasing reliability, e.g. using redundant or spare channels or apparatus replacing by standby devices for amplifiers H03F1/52, H03F1/542
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0659 by isolating or reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/10 Routing in connection-oriented networks, e.g. X.25 or ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A system and method for the detection of permanent virtual circuit failures in a communication network determines and classifies failures based upon physical or logical criteria. Upon detection of a physical failure or a logical failure the virtual circuit backup logic will establish an alternate path in order to selectively reroute information avoiding the failed primary path. Once the primary path is again available, the logic of the present invention will restore the communication from the alternate path to the primary path. The virtual circuit backup logic will selectively provide an alternate path for communication traffic on a per data link connection identifier (DLCI) basis, thus enabling a single link to be backed up over multiple links.

Claims

1. A system for fault detection and rerouting of information from a primary path to an alternate path in a communication network, comprising:

means for detecting, in a communication device operating at a data link layer and having awareness of a physical layer to which said communication device is attached, a failure in a primary path virtual circuit of a communication system having an endpoint, said failure including any of a physical failure, a logical management interface (LMI) failure, and a data link connection identifier (DLCI) failure;

means for classifying said failure; and

means for rerouting information to said endpoint over an alternate path to avoid said failure without having to wait for the indication of a logical link failure.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said virtual circuit is a permanent virtual circuit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said virtual circuit is a switched virtual circuit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said failure is a physical failure.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said failure is a logical failure.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said logical failure is used to determine said affected virtual circuit.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said logical failure is a data link control identifier (DLCI) failure as reported by a logical management interface (LMI).

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for rerouting further includes a port connected to an external communications device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for rerouting further includes a dial backup module connecting to said alternate path.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for rerouting further includes the same physical path as said primary path, wherein said same physical path provides said alternate virtual circuit.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said alternate path is specified for each primary data link control identifier (DLCI) by a user.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for restoring said rerouted information to said primary path when said primary path becomes available.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said rerouted information is restored to said primary path for each data link control identifier (DLCI).

14. A method for fault detection and rerouting of information from a primary path to an alternate path in a communication network, comprising the steps of:

detecting, in a communication device operating at a data link layer and having awareness of a physical layer to which said communication device is attached, a failure in a primary path virtual circuit of a communication system having an endpoint, said failure including any of a physical failure, a logical management interface (LMI) failure, and a data link connection identifier (DLCI) failure;

classifying said failure; and

rerouting information to said endpoint over an alternate path to avoid said failure without having to wait for the indication of a logical link failure.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said virtual circuit is a permanent virtual circuit.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said virtual circuit is a switched virtual circuit.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said failure is a physical failure.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said failure is a logical failure.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said logical failure is used to determine said affected virtual circuit.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said logical failure is a data link control identifier (DLCI) failure as reported by a logical management interface (LMI).

21. The method of claim 14, wherein said step of rerouting further includes the step of using a port connected to an external communications device for accessing said alternate path.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein said step of rerouting further includes the step of using a dial backup module for accessing said alternate path.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein said step of rerouting further includes the step of using the same physical path as said primary path, wherein said same physical path provides said alternate virtual circuit.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein said alternate path is specified for each primary data link control identifier (DLCI) by a user.

25. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of restoring said rerouted information to said primary path when said primary path becomes available.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said rerouted information is restored to said primary path for each data link control identifier (DLCI).

27. A system for fault detection and rerouting of information from a primary path to an alternate path in a communication network, comprising:

a failure detector, located in a communication device operating at a data link layer and having awareness of a physical layer to which said communication device is attached, configured to detect a failure in a primary path virtual circuit of a communication system having an endpoint, said failure including any of a physical failure, a logical management interface (LMI) failure, and a data link connection identifier (DLCI) failure;

logic configured to classify said failure; and

rerouting logic configured to reroute information to said endpoint over an alternate path to avoid said failure without having to wait for the indication of a logical link failure.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said virtual circuit is a permanent virtual circuit.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein said virtual circuit is a switched virtual circuit.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein said failure is a physical failure.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein said failure is a logical failure.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said logical failure is used to determine said affected virtual circuit.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein said logical failure is a data link control identifier (DLCI) failure as reported by a logical management interface (LMI).

34. The system of claim 27, wherein said rerouting logic further includes a port connected to an external communications device.

35. The system of claim 27, wherein said rerouting logic further includes a dial backup module connecting to said alternate path.

36. The system of claim 27, wherein said rerouting logic further includes the same physical path as said primary path, wherein said same physical path provides said alternate virtual circuit.

37. The system of claim 27, wherein said alternate path is specified for each primary data link control identifier (DLCI) by a user.

38. The system of claim 27, further comprising restoring logic configured to restore said rerouted information to said primary path when said primary path becomes available.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein said rerouted information is restored to said primary path for each data link control identifier (DLCI).

40. A computer readable medium having a program for fault detection and rerouting of information from a primary path to an alternate path in a communication network, the medium comprising:

failure detector logic, located in a communication device operating at a data link layer and having awareness of a physical layer to which said communication device is attached, configured to detect a failure in a primary path virtual circuit of a communication system having an endpoint, said failure including any of a physical failure, a logical management interface (LMI) failure, and a data link connection identifier (DLCI) failure;

logic configured to classify said failure; and

rerouting logic configured to reroute information to said endpoint over an alternate path to avoid said failure without having to wait for the indication of a logical link failure.