Concentrator and reset control method therefor

• US 7,263,104 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2002
• Issued: 08/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allied Telesis Holdings KK
• Original Assignee: Allied Telesis Holdings KK
• Inventors: Chiba, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou; Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moutaouakil; Mounir
• Application Number:
  US10/343,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20030224827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,929 Days
• Field of Search: 370/434, 370/104, 370/254, 370/252, 370/389, 370/435, 370/432, 370/436, 370/230, 370/241, 370/255, 370/256, 370/257, 370/258
• US Class Current: 370/434
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0654 using network fault recovery ring fault isolation or reconfiguration in loop networks without recovery actions by a network management system H04L12/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/557 Error correction, e.g. fault recovery or fault tolerance

Abstract

There is provided a concentrator and a reset control method therefor that may easily and reliably secure early restoration from an outage of network communications. A concentrator to which a plurality of network devices are connectible includes a communication control part for controlling a transfer process of information among the network devices, a condition determination part for determining whether information obtained from the communication control part satisfies a reset condition, and a reset control part for controlling a reset signal used to reset the communication control part based on a determination by the condition determination part.

Claims

1. A method for controlling resetting of a concentrator to which a plurality of network device are connectible, said method comprising the steps of:

determining whether at least one of a communication control part and a timer has generated a signal that satisfies a predetermined reset condition, the communication control part controlling a transfer process of information among the network devices; and

generating a signal for resetting the communication control part when said determining step determines the reset condition has been satisfied,

wherein the reset condition includes an occurrence of a collision between the network devices, and a change of a link on state indicative of a communication availability between the concentrator and the network device into an off state.

2. A method for controlling resetting of a concentrator to which a plurality of network device are connectible, said method comprising the steps of:

determining whether at least one of a communication control part and a timer has generated a signal that satisfies a predetermined reset condition, the communication control part controlling a transfer process of information among the network devices; and

generating a signal for resetting the communication control part when said determining step determines the reset condition has been satisfied,

wherein the reset condition includes a start of a communication active state indicating that a packet is being received through one pod connected to the network device, and a lack of update of a number of packets received at the port within a certain period.

3. A method for controlling resetting of a concentrator to which a plurality of network device are connectible, said method comprising the steps of:

determining whether at least one of a communication control part and a timer has generated a signal that satisfies a predetermined reset condition, the communication control part controlling a transfer process of information among the network devices; and

generating a signal for resetting the communication control part when said determining step determines the reset condition has been satisfied.

wherein the reset condition includes a start of a communication active state indicating that a packet is being transmitted through one port connected to the network device, and a lack of update of a number of packets transmitted at the port within a certain period.

4. A method for controlling resetting of a concentrator to which a plurality of network device are connectible, said method comprising the steps of:

determining whether at least one of a communication control part and a timer has generated a signal that satisfies a predetermined reset condition, the communication control part controlling a transfer process of information among the network devices; and

generating a signal for resetting the communication control part when said determining step determines the reset condition has been satisfied,

wherein the reset condition includes a start of a communication active state indicating that a packet is being transmitted through one port connected to the network device, an update of a number of packets received at the port within a certain period, and a lack of update of the number of packets transmitted at the port within a certain period.

5. A method for controlling resetting of a concentrator to which a plurality of network device are connectible, said method comprising the steps of:

determining whether at least one of a communication control part and a timer has generated a signal that satisfies a predetermined reset condition, the communication control part controlling a transfer process of information among the network devices; and

generating a signal for resetting the communication control part when said determining step determines the reset condition has been satisfied,

wherein the reset condition includes a transmission of a pause packet signal longer than a prescribed period from one port connected to the network device, the pause packet signal requesting a stop of sending the packet.

6. A method for controlling resetting of a concentrator to which a plurality of network device are connectible, said method comprising the steps of:

determining whether at least one of a communication control part and a timer has generated a signal that satisfies a predetermined reset condition, the communication control part controlling a transfer process of information among the network devices; and

generating a signal for resetting the communication control part when said determining step determines the reset condition has been satisfied,

wherein the reset condition includes an update of a number of packets within a certain period received at one port connected to the network device, and a lack of release or allocation of a buffer for temporarily storing the packet, within a certain period.

7. A concentrator for use with a local area network, the concentrator including a plurality of ports, and serving to monitor a communication status, the concentrator comprising:

specific reset activating means for activating a specific reset function different from a reset at the time of power-on, and for determining whether the specific reset function activates when a specific trigger condition is met;

means for designating and varying one or more various specific trigger conditions; and

a non-volatile memory for storing a designated status of a controller when the specific reset function activates,

wherein the non-volatile memory maintains memory contents during an action of the specific reset function and the reset at the time of power-on, providing the concentrator with an automatic restoration function at the time of obstructions.

8. A concentrator according to claim 7, wherein the specific trigger condition is programmable to designate one of the following conditions:

an occurrence of one event;

simultaneous occurrences of multiple events at the same time;

an occurrence of one event at multiple times; and

simultaneous occurrences of multiple events at multiple times, wherein an event or simultaneous events occurring at each of the multiple times can be the same event or different events at each time, and wherein a condition between each time-sequential event or group of events can be designated.

9. A concentrator according to claim 8, wherein the specific reset function designates simultaneously resetting all of communication functions in the concentrator or resetting part of a communication control function in the concentrator, the resetting being conducted in accordance with setting of the specific trigger conditions.

10. A concentrator according to claim 9, wherein the specific trigger condition designates control error types and a continuous occurrence of a control error for a designated period beyond a prescribed time, the specific reset function being activated when the control error occurs over the designated period.

11. A concentrator according to claim 8, wherein the specific reset function resets a communication control function relating to one or more communication ports for which the specific trigger condition occurs.

12. A concentrator according to claim 11, wherein the specific trigger condition designates control error types and a continuous occurrence of a control error for a designated period beyond a prescribed time, the specific reset function being activated when the control error occurs over the designated period.

13. A concentrator according to claim 8, wherein setting of the specific trigger condition resets a reception port or a transmission port or simultaneously resets all of communication functions in the concentrator when a port does not perform a receiving action or a transmitting action longer than a designated prescribed time as based on monitoring the communication status.

14. A concentrator according to claim 7, wherein the specific reset function designates simultaneously resetting all of communication functions in the concentrator or resetting part of a communication control function in the concentrator, the resetting being conducted in accordance with setting of the specific trigger conditions.

15. A concentrator according to claim 14, wherein the specific trigger condition designates control error types and a continuous occurrence of a control error for a designated period beyond a prescribed time, the specific reset function being activated when the control error occurs over the designated period.

16. A concentrator according to claim 7, wherein the specific reset function resets a communication control function relating to one or more communication ports for which the specific trigger condition occurs.

17. A concentrator according to claim 16, wherein the specific trigger condition designates control error types and a continuous occurrence of a control error for a designated period beyond a prescribed time, the specific reset function being activated when the control error occurs over the designated period.

18. A concentrator according to claim 7, wherein setting of the specific trigger condition resets a reception port or a transmission port or simultaneously resets all of communication functions in the concentrator when a port does not perform a receiving action or a transmitting action longer than a designated prescribed time as based on monitoring the communication status.