Method and apparatus for detecting a fault in a multicast routing infrastructure

• US 6,515,967 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1998
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wei, Liming, Farinacci, Dino
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chau
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRINH, DUNG N
• Application Number:
  US09/107,268
• Time in Patent Office: 1,680 Days
• Field of Search: 370/242, 370/243, 370/244, 370/245, 370/248, 370/250, 370/252, 370/390, 714/25, 714/48
• US Class Current: 370/244
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1868 Measures taken after transmission, e.g. acknowledgments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery

Abstract

A method and system for detecting faults in data packet routing devices in a computer network capable of routing messages using a multicast protocol is described. Faults in devices, such as routers and switches, are detected in near real-time when using a multicast routing infrastructure by configuring a device to be a sender or source of test data packets and one or more other devices to receive test data packets. The test packet sender transmits test data packets to a test group of test packet receivers where the test group has a group identifier. The test receivers prepare data or fault reports describing errors regarding missing or duplicated data packets. These fault reports are prepared soon after the errors are detected and sent back to a multicast routing manager for isolating the device causing the fault. The messages sent to the test devices contain instructions regarding time intervals during which fault reports can be sent to the multicast routing manager from the multiple test receivers.

Claims

1. In a test monitoring device, a method of detecting a fault in a multicast routing infrastructure, the method comprising:

sending a source configuration request for configuring a device in the infrastructure to be a test packet source, the source configuration request containing an identifier identifying the test monitoring device;

sending a receiver configuration request for configuring one or more devices in the infrastructure to be test packet receivers where the test packet source sends out test packets to a predetermined group of test packet receivers, the predetermined group having a group identifier; and

examining data reports from the test packet receivers relating to a plurality of test packets sent by the test packet source where the data reports are examined shortly after the data reports are provided by the test packet receivers.

2. In a test monitoring device, the method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the test monitoring device in the multicast routing infrastructure to initiate a desired test.

3. In a test monitoring device, the method as recited in claim 2 further comprising:

sending the data reports to the test monitoring device in a time-dependent manner to avoid overloading the infrastructure with data reports.

4. In a test monitoring device, the method as recited in claim 3 wherein sending the data reports to the test monitoring device in a time-dependent manner further comprises:

instructing each test packet receiver to transmit data reports to the monitoring device at a preset time interval thereby staggering the transmission and receipt of data reports.

5. In a test monitoring device, the method as recited in claim 2 further comprising sending a beacon message to the test packet source and to the one or more test packet receivers to inform the test packet source and the one or more test packet receivers that the monitoring device is active.

6. In a test monitoring device, the method as recited in claim 1 further comprising monitoring reception conditions at the test packet receivers.

7. In a test monitoring device, the method as recited in claim 1 wherein the receiver configuration request sent to a test packet receiver includes a test group identifier indicating that the test packet receiver belongs to a particular test group.

8. In a test monitoring device, the method as recited in claim 1 wherein the source configuration request includes a unique identifier used to identify the source configuration request and associate test packets emitted by the test packet source that receives the source configuration request.

9. In a test monitoring device, the method as recited in claim 8 wherein the unique identifier is a monotonically increasing sequence number.

10. In a test monitoring device, the method as recited in claim 1 wherein a test packet receiver receives test packets from more than one test packet source.

11. In a test monitoring device, the method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether a predetermined number of test packets sent by the test packet source to a test packet receiver was affected while in transit thereby indicating a fault in the multicast routing infrastructure; and

creating a data report in response to the fault.

12. A system for detecting faults in a multicast routing infrastructure having a plurality of data routing devices, the system comprising:

a test monitoring device for propagating test information including test source request packets and test receiver request packets and for collecting fault data;

a test packet source device configured to transmit test packets using a multicast protocol; and

a plurality of test packet receiving devices configured to receive test packets from the test packet source device and to transmit fault data to the test monitoring device;

wherein

the test source request packets and the test receiver request packets contain an identifier corresponding to the test monitoring device.

13. A system as recited in claim 12 wherein the test receiver request packets and the test source request packets contain a test group identifier for identifying a group of test packet receiving devices.

14. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the test group identifier is an Internet Protocol address.

15. A system as recited in claim 12 wherein a test receiver request packet contains data relating to time intervals in which a test packet receiving device transmits fault data to the test monitoring device.

16. A system as recited in claim 12 wherein a test receiver request packet contains criteria on when a fault in the multicast routing infrastructure has occurred.

17. A system as recited in claim 12 wherein the test monitoring device further comprises a fault isolation mechanism enabling the test monitoring device to isolate a faulty device in the multicast routing infrastructure.

18. A computer program product for detecting a fault in a multicast routing infrastructure using a test monitoring device, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

a computer code stored on the computer readable medium for sending a source configuration request for configuring a device in the infrastructure to be a test packet source, the source configuration request containing an identifier identifying the test monitoring device;

a computer code stored on the computer readable medium for sending a receiver configuration request for configuring one or more devices in the infrastructure to be test packet receivers where the test packet source sends out test packets to a predetermined group of test packet receivers, the predetermined group having a group identifier; and

a computer code stored on the computer readable medium for examining data reports from the test packet receivers relating to a plurality of test packets sent by the test packet source where the data reports are examined shortly after the data reports are provided by the test packet receivers.