Apparatus, system, and method for error assessment over a communication link

• US 7,747,734 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Williams, Jeffrey B., Aldereguia, Alfredo, Richter, Grace Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): Dollinger; Tonia L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murray; Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US11/277,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20070233847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/223, 709/250, 370/230, 370/232, 370/235, 370/244, 370/245, 370/252, 370/253, 714/25, 714/32, 714/712
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 Errors, e.g. transmission errors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for assessing error over a communication link. The apparatus for assessing error is provided with a logic unit containing a plurality of modules configured to execute the necessary steps of creating one or more test packets, determining an amount of test packets to send over a communication link to a receiving node, sending a plurality of test packets over the communication link to a receiving node, interspersing test packets throughout a plurality of data packets such that the receiving node is able to continually process the data packets, and checking test packets received by the receiving node for errors.

Claims

1. A method for assessing error over a communication link, the method comprising:

creating one or more test packets by way of a processor and a memory, each test packet comprising data to facilitate error checking after the test packet is transmitted over a communication link;

monitoring performance of one or more of a receiving node and the communication link, the performance based on an amount of traffic;

periodically determining an amount of test packets to send over the communication link to the receiving node;

sending a plurality of data packets over the communication link to the receiving node;

sending one or more test packets over the communication link to the receiving node; and

interspersing test packets throughout the data packets at a variable rate, the variable rate based on the performance of one or more of the receiving node and the communication link, wherein the variable rate of interspersed test packets decreases as the performance slows and the variable rate of interspersed test packets increases as the performance increases such that the communication link is continuously enabled to non-test packet data traffic and the receiving node is able to continually process the data packets.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the amount of test packets comprises determining a percentage of the number of packets sent to the receiving node to be allocated for sending test packets, wherein the percentage of test packets comprises up to ninety percent.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein sending test packets comprises selectively assigning a priority to consecutive test packets.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sending one or more test packets over the communication link comprises sending a threshold level of test packets to emulate a predetermined error rate for the receiving node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein interspersing test packets throughout the data packets comprises randomly interspersing test packets throughout the data packets.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising checking packets received by the receiving node for errors, wherein checking the packets received by the receiving node for errors comprises recording errors in an error register.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring an amount of traffic on the communication link, wherein the amount of test packets to send over the communication link to the receiving node is based on the amount of traffic.

8. An apparatus for assessing error over a communication link, the apparatus comprising:

a creation module for creating one or more test packets, each test packet comprising data to facilitate error checking after the test packet is transmitted over a communication link;

a determination module for monitoring performance of one or more of a receiving node and the communication link and periodically determining an amount of test packets to send over a communication link to the receiving node, the performance based on an amount of traffic;

a sending module for sending a plurality of test packets over the communication link to the receiving node; and

an interspersing module for interspersing test packets throughout a plurality of data packets at a variable rate, the variable rate based on the performance of one or more of the receiving node and the communication link, wherein the variable rate of interspersed test packets decreases as the performance slows and the variable rate of interspersed test packets increases as the performance increases such that the communication link is continuously enabled to non-test packet data traffic and the receiving node is able to continually process the data packets,

wherein all or a portion of the creation module, the determination module, the sending module, and the interspersing module comprise one or more of logic hardware and executable code, the executable code stored on one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media and executed by a processor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the sending module is configured to send one or more data packets over the communication link to the receiving node.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the amount of test packets is a percentage of the overall packets sent to the receiving node.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the sending module selectively assigns a priority to consecutive test packets.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the sending module sends a threshold level of test packets to emulate a predetermined error rate for the communication link.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the interspersing module randomly intersperses test packets throughout the data packets.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the determination module monitors an amount of traffic on the communication link and periodically determines an amount of test packets to send over a communication link to the receiving node based on the amount of traffic.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a checking module, for checking test packets received by the receiving node for errors, wherein the checking module monitors only test packets for errors.

16. A system for assessing error over a communication link, the system comprising:

at least one Central Processing Unit (CPU);

a processor;

a cache;

a cache controller;

at least one port for connecting to a communication link; and

a memory containing modules for execution on a processor, the modules comprising;

a creation module for creating one or more test packets, each test packet comprising data to facilitate error checking after the test packet is transmitted over a communication link;

a determination module for monitoring performance of one or more of a receiving node and the communication link and periodically determining an amount of test packets to send over a communication link to the receiving node, the performance based on an amount of traffic;

a sending module for sending a plurality of test packets over the communication link to a receiving node;

an interspersing module for interspersing test packets throughout a plurality of data packets at a variable rate, the variable rate based on the performance of one or more of the receiving node and the communication link, wherein the variable rate of interspersed test packets decreases as the performance slows and the variable rate of interspersed test packets increases as the performance increases such that the communication link is continuously enabled to non-test packet data traffic and the receiving node is able to continually process the data packets; and

a checking module, for checking test packets received by the receiving node for errors; and

a bus for operably connecting the at least one CPU, processor, cache, cache controller, port, and memory.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the port is a high-speed serial port.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of scalable enterprise servers.

19. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer useable storage medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

creating one or more test packets, each test packet comprising data to facilitate error checking after the test packet is transmitted over a communication link;

monitoring performance of one or more of a receiving node and the communication link, the performance based on an amount of traffic;

periodically determining an amount of test packets to send over the communication link to the receiving node;

sending a plurality of data packets over the communication link to a the receiving node;

sending one or more test packets over the communication link to the receiving node; and

interspersing test packets throughout the data packets at a variable rate, the variable rate based on the performance of one or more of the receiving node and the communication link, wherein the variable rate of interspersed test packets decreases as the performance slows and the variable rate of interspersed test packets increases as the performance increases such that the communication link is continuously enabled to non-test packet data traffic and the receiving node is able to continually process the data packets.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer readable program for causing a computer to determine the amount of test packets comprises determining a percentage of the number of packets sent to the receiving node to be allocated for sending test packets.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer readable program for causing a computer to send test packets comprises selectively assigning a priority to each test packet.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer readable program for causing a computer to send one or more test packets over the communication link comprises sending a threshold level of test packets to emulate a predetermined error rate for the receiving node.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer readable program for causing a computer to intersperse test packets throughout the data packets comprises randomly interspersing test packets throughout the data packets.

24. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising checking packets received by the receiving node for errors, wherein the computer readable program for causing a computer to check the packets received by the receiving node for errors comprises recording errors in an error register.