Systems and methods for monitoring high speed network traffic via sequentially multiplexed data streams

• US 7,936,767 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Medlin, Robert E., Blinick, Katherine T., Lucas, Gregg S, Washburn, Gordon L., Elliott, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar; Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ebrahim; Anez
• Application Number:
  US11/741,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20080267192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,464 Days
• Field of Search: 370/386, 370/389, 370/360, 370/422, 370/465, 370/252, 370/347, 370/412, 370/216, 370/217, 370351-352, 370392-395, 370/419, 710/5, 710/20, 710/255, 710/11, 709/223, 709/208, 709/250, 709/220, 709/222, 711/114, 711/15, 711/154, 711/152
• US Class Current: 370/395.7
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 Errors, e.g. transmission errors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/555 Error detection

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring high-speed network traffic via sequentially multiplexed data streams. Exemplary embodiments include a switch module system, including a first switch module configured to be coupled to a first server chassis, a first data port disposed on the first switch module and a set of first port data links configured to be coupled to a set of data port data links, each data link configurable to channel at least one of a normal data stream and a monitored data stream.

Claims

1. A switch module system, comprising:

a first switch module configured to be coupled to a first server chassis;

a first data port disposed on the first switch module; and

a set of first port data links configured to be coupled to additional sets of data port data links, the set of first port data links and the additional sets of data port data links being disposed in the first data port, each data link configurable to channel at least one of a normal data stream and a monitored data stream, wherein a data link configured to receive the monitored data stream is a monitor link for routing the monitored data stream for analysis, the normal data stream representing data prior to entering the first switch module, and the monitored data stream representing the data after leaving the first switch module, thereby isolating a fault related to the first switch module.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein a first data link is configured to receive channeled normal data streams routed from the first server chassis.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2 wherein a second and third data link are configured to channel monitored data streams.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the second data link channels a monitored data stream prior to input into the first switch module.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the third data link channels a monitored data stream output from the first switch module.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein a first data link is configured to receive a channeled failed data stream routed from a server disposed in the first server chassis.

7. The system as claimed in claim 2 wherein a second and third data link are configured to channel monitored data streams.

8. The system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the second data link channels a monitored data stream prior to input into the first switch module.

9. The system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the third data link channels a monitored data stream output from the first switch module.

10. The system as claimed in claim 6 wherein a fourth data link channels remaining normal data streams to a second switch module, wherein the first data port is configured to be coupled to a second data port disposed on the second switch module.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a logic analyzer coupled to the first switch module for monitoring the monitored data streams.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a second switch module coupled to the first switch module via a subset of the set of data links; and

a logic analyzer coupled to the second switch module for monitoring the monitored data streams.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

independent server modules disposed in the first chassis;

a second switch module, wherein the first data port configured to be coupled to a second data port disposed on the second switch module;

a set of data links disposed between and coupled to the first switch module and the second switch module, a subset of the set of data links configured to receive monitored data streams and a second subset of data links configured to receive unaffected data streams; and

a logic analyzer disposed between the first and second switch modules and being configured to receive the monitored data streams.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, comprising:

configuring a multi-chassis system configured to support a server and a switch module to run data streams for the server and over the switch module;

detecting a data failure on at least one data link coupled to the switch module;

configuring a second and third data link coupled to the switch module, as monitor links to receive monitored data streams for analysis; and

configuring at least one of the first data link and a fourth data link to support unaffected data streams, the unaffected data streams representing data prior to entering the switch module, and the monitored data streams representing the data after leaving the switch module, thereby isolating a fault in the monitored data stream to characterize the data failure,

wherein the first, second, third and fourth data links are disposed on a data port on the switch module.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 14 wherein the method further comprises capturing the data failure on a logic analyzer.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 15 wherein the method further comprises discarding the monitored data stream in a second switch module in response to an analysis of the monitored data stream by the logic analyzer.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 15 wherein the logic analyzer is coupled to the switch module via a breakout cable, thereby receiving monitored data from the second and third data links.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 15 wherein the method further comprises configuring a wide port on a second switch module to receive the monitored data streams from the second and third data links.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claimed in claim 18 wherein the logic analyzer is coupled to a wide port on a second switch module, and is configured to receive the monitored data streams.

20. A switch module data monitoring method, comprising:

configuring a multi-chassis system to run data streams over a switch module interconnecting the multi-chassis system;

detecting a data failure on at least one data link coupled to the switch module;

configuring a second and third data link coupled to the switch module, as monitor links to receive monitored data streams for analysis;

configuring at least one of the first data link and a fourth data link to support unaffected data streams, the unaffected data streams representing data prior to entering the switch module, and the monitored data streams representing the data after leaving the switch module, thereby isolating a fault in the monitored data stream to characterize the data failure; and

routing the monitored data streams to a logic analyzer in order to compare the unaffected and monitored data streams to characterize the data failure,

wherein the first, second, third and fourth data links are disposed on a data port on the switch module.