Error injection apparatus and method

• US 6,560,720 B1
• Filed: 09/09/1999
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Machulsky, George, Shalev, Leah, Chirashnya, Igor, Ross, Rony
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): McGrath, Christopher R.
• Application Number:
  US09/393,584
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 714/32, 714/41, 714/43, 714/703, 714/712, 714/4, 714/33, 714/46, 714/47, 714/44, 710/15, 370/242, 370/244, 370/245
• US Class Current: 714/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/277 with comparison between actual response and known fault-free response

Abstract

In a computer network system that includes a multiplicity of nodes interconnected by a network of switches, wherein data are normally conveyed in the network according to predetermined conventions, a method for simulation testing of the system. One of the nodes is selected to serve as an error injector and injects data into the network in a manner that violates the predetermined conventions, so as to simulate an error condition in the system. Operation of the system is observed following the injection of the data so as to evaluate a response of the system to the error condition.

Claims

1. In a computer network system that includes a multiplicity of nodes interconnected by a network of switches, wherein data are normally conveyed in the network according to predetermined conventions, a method for simulation testing of the system, comprising:

selecting one of the nodes to serve as an error injector node;

sending a command from the error injector node to one of the switches so as to simulate an error condition in the system, wherein the command is of a type that is normally sent in response to an error in the network; and

observing operation of the system following the injection of the data so as to evaluate a response of the system to the error condition.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein sending the command comprises choosing a command from the group of commands consisting of an initialization command, a reset command and a port disable command.

3. In a computer network system that includes a multiplicity of nodes interconnected by a network of switches, wherein data are normally conveyed in the network according to predetermined conventions, a method for simulation testing of the system, comprising:

selecting one of the nodes to serve as an error injector;

injecting data into the network from the error injector node in a manner that violates the predetermined conventions, so as to simulate an error condition in the system; and

observing operation of the system following the injection of the data so as to evaluate a response of the system to the error condition,

wherein the system includes a primary node, which normally receives service messages from the switches in the network, and wherein injecting the data comprises sending data to the primary node having the form of a service message from one of the switches.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein sending the data comprises sending an error report.

5. In a computer network system that includes a multiplicity of nodes interconnected by a network of switches, wherein data are normally conveyed in the network according to predetermined conventions, a method for simulation testing of the system, comprising:

selecting one of the nodes to serve as an error injector;

injecting data into the network from the error injector node in a manner that violates the predetermined conventions, so as to simulate an error condition in the system; and

observing operation of the system following the injection of the data so as to evaluate a response of the system to the error condition,

wherein the system includes a primary node, which normally receives service messages from the switches in the network, and wherein injecting the data comprises sending data to the primary node having the form of a service message from one of the switches, and

wherein injecting the data comprises sending a command to the one of the switches that causes the switch to convey service messages to the error injector node, rather than to the primary node.

6. A manageable computer network system, comprising:

a network of switches, among which data are normally conveyed in the network according to predetermined conventions; and

a multiplicity of nodes interconnected by the switches, one of which nodes is selected to serve as an error injector node, wherein the error injector node sends a command to one of the switches of a type that is normally made in response to an error in the network, so as to simulate an, error condition in the system in order that a response of the system to the error condition can be observed.

7. A manageable computer network system, comprising:

a network of switches, among which data are normally conveyed in the network according to predetermined conventions; and

a multiplicity of nodes interconnected by the switches, one of which nodes is selected to serve as an error injector, which injects data into the network in a manner that violates the predetermined conventions, so as to simulate an error condition in the system in order that a response of the system to the error condition can be observed,

wherein the multiplicity of nodes includes a primary node, which normally receives service messages from the switches in the network, and wherein the error injector node sends data to the primary node having the form of a service message from one of the switches.

8. A computer software product for simulation testing of a computer network system including a network of switches linking a plurality of processor nodes, wherein data are normally conveyed in the network according to predetermined conventions, the product comprising a computer-readable medium in which program code is stored, which code, when read by one of the nodes selected to serve as an error injector node among a multiplicity of nodes coupled to the network;

causes the error injector node to send a command to one of the switches of a type that is normally made in response to an error in the network, so as to simulate an error condition in the system,

wherein operation of the system following the injection of the data is observed in order to evaluate a response of the system to the error condition.

9. A computer software product for simulation testing of a computer network system including a network of switches linking a plurality of processor nodes, wherein data are normally conveyed in the network according to predetermined conventions, the product comprising a computer-readable medium in which program code is stored, which code, when read by one of the nodes selected to serve as an error injector node among a multiplicity of nodes coupled to the network, causes the error injector node to inject data into the network in a manner that violates the predetermined conventions, so as to simulate an error condition in the system,

wherein the multiplicity of nodes includes a primary node, which normally receives service messages from the switches in the network, and

wherein the injected data are sent by the error injector node to the primary node in the form of a service message from one of the switches, and

wherein operation of the system following the injection of the data is observed in order to evaluate a response of the system to the error condition.