Enhanced communication network tap port aggregator arrangement and methods thereof

• US 7,898,984 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2007
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keysight Technologies Singapore (Holdings) Pte. Limited. (Keysight Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Net Optics Incorporated (Keysight Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Matityahu, Eldad, Le, Ky Hong, Carpio, Dennis Angelo Ramirez, Lee, Dong Su, Shaw, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): CHO, HONG SOL
• Application Number:
  US11/835,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20090041051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/254, 370/255, 370389-392, 370/400, 370/401
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

An arrangement in a network device for facilitating at least one of multiple connection speeds with a network, active response between a monitoring device and an end-device, and power over Ethernet (POE) over a network is provided. As a facilitator of multiple connection speeds, the arrangement includes a plurality of physical layer interface (PHY) and media access controller (MAC) that are configured to support multiple speeds. As a facilitator of active response, the arrangement includes a logic arrangement for multicasting a set of instructions that is sent from a monitoring port. As a facilitator of POE, the arrangement is configured to receive data traffic (e.g., data packets and/or power packets) through a first network port and to send the data traffic out a second network port.

Claims

1. An arrangement in a network device for facilitating multiple connection speeds with a network, the arrangement comprising:

a set of network ports, said set of network ports including a set of input network ports for receiving data traffic and a set of output network ports for outputting said data traffic from said network device, said set of input network ports and said set of output network ports including a first network port and a second network port, said first network port being configured to receive a signal, said signal including data packets and power packets, said second network port being configured to received said signal from said first network port;

a tap structure, said tap structure being configured to couple to said first network port and said second network port to receive said data packets, whereas data traffic is configured to traverse said network device between said set of input network ports and said set of output network ports irrespective whether power is provided to circuitry of said network device, wherein a first center tap, connected to a first transformer that is associated with said first network port, is coupled to a second center tap, connected to second transformer that is associated with said second network port, to create a bridge between said first transformer and said second transformer, said bridge being a bypass route to transfer said power packets between said first network port and said second network port;

a monitoring port, said monitoring port being configured to receive aggregated data traffic from said set of network ports, said aggregated data traffic being aggregated by an aggregator;

a plurality of physical layer interface (PHY), each PHY of said plurality of PHY being configured to support said multiple connection speeds, wherein a first PHY of said plurality of PHY is configured to include a first logic for performing link setup, said link setup including determining the best speed said network device is capable of supporting; and

a media access controller (MAC), said MAC being configured to support said multiple connection speeds, whereas said data traffic is configured to traverse said network device between said set of input network ports and said set of output network ports irrespective whether power is provided to circuitry of said network device.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said first logic of said first PHY includes performing auto-negotiation to perform said link setup based on the speed of an end -device connected to one of said set of network ports.

3. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said logic of said first PHY includes performing force mode to perform said link setup, said force mode being determined based on a user'"'"'s configuration preference.

4. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said MAC is configured to include a second logic for performing link setup, said link setup including determining the best speed said network device is capable of supporting.

5. The arrangement of claim 4 wherein said second logic of said MAC includes performing auto-negotiation to perform said link setup based on the speed of an end-device connected to one of said set of network ports.

6. The arrangement of claim 4 wherein said second logic of said MAC includes performing force mode to perform said link setup, said force mode being determined based on a user'"'"'s configuration preference.

7. An arrangement in a network device for facilitating active response between a monitoring device and an end-device, the arrangement comprising:

a set of network ports, said set of network ports including a set of input network ports for receiving data traffic and a set of output network ports for outputting said data traffic from said network device, said set of input network ports and said set of output network ports including a first network port and a second network port, said first network port being configured to receive a signal, said signal including data packets and power packets, said second network port being configured to received said signal from said first network port;

a tap structure, said tap structure being configured to couple to said first network port and said second network port to receive said data packets, whereas data traffic is configured to traverse said network device between said set of input network ports and said set of output network ports irrespective whether power is provided to circuitry of said network device, wherein a first center tap, connected to a first transformer that is associated with said first network port, is coupled to a second center tap, connected to second transformer that is associated with said second network port, to create a bridge between said first transformer and said second transformer, said bridge being a bypass route to transfer said power packets between said first network port and said second network port;

a monitoring port, said monitoring port being configured to transmit a set of instructions from said monitoring device coupled to said monitoring port; and

logic arrangement for receiving and multicasting said set of instructions, whereas said data traffic is configured to traverse said network device between said set of input network ports and said set of output network ports irrespective whether power is provided to circuitry of said network device.

11. The arrangement of claim 7 wherein said set of instructions is embodied within a set of control packets.

12. The arrangement of claim 7 wherein said set of instructions includes a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) reset.

8. The arrangement of 7 wherein said logic arrangement is a field-programmable gate array (FPGA).

9. The arrangement of 8 wherein said FPGA is configured to include a bridge, said bridge being configured to receive said set of instructions.

10. The arrangement of 9 wherein said bridge is configured to multicast said set of instructions to a plurality of end devices coupled to said set of network ports.

13. An arrangement in a network device for facilitating power over Ethernet (POE) over a network, the arrangement comprising:

a first network port, said first network port being configured to receive a signal, said signal including data packets and power packets;

a second network port, said second network port being configured to received said signal from said first network port; and

a tap structure, said tap structure being configured to couple to said first network port and said second network port to receive said data packets, whereas data traffic is configured to traverse said network device between said set of input network ports and said set of output network ports irrespective whether power is provided to circuitry of said network device, wherein a first center tap, connected to a first transformer that is associated with said first network port, is coupled to a second center tap connected to second transformer that is associated with said second network port, to create a bridge between said first transformer and said second transformer, said bridge being a bypass route to transfer said power packets between said first network port and said second network port.

14. The arrangement of claim 13 wherein said first network port is configured to include a first set of connector pins, said first set of connector pins is configured to receive said signal.

15. The arrangement of claim 14 wherein said second network is configured to include a second set of connector pins, said second set of connector pins is configured to receive said power packets.

16. The arrangement of claim 15 wherein said first transformer is associated with said first set of connector pins, said second transformer is associated with said second set of connector pins, and said first transformer is coupled to said second transformer to enable coupling between said first set of connector pins and said second set of connector pins.

17. The arrangement of claim 16 wherein said coupling is facilitated by a set of magnetics.

18. The arrangement of claim 16 wherein an inductor is positioned between said first center tap and said second center tap to perform low-pass filter on said signal, said low-pass filter including removing non-power packets from said signal.

19. The arrangement of claim 16 wherein said inductor is configured to create a connection between said first center tap and said second center tap.