Best-path evaluation based on reliability of network interface layers

• US 8,422,358 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2010
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bauchot, Frederic, Denecheau, Lionel, Hazard, Ludovic, Sauer, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANDREWS, HOYET H
• Application Number:
  US12/953,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20120127850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0627 by acting on the notification or alarm source
• 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 41/0659 by isolating or reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/142 using statistical or mathematical methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 Errors, e.g. transmission errors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A system and associated method for dynamic error dampening in a node in a network system. The node collects statistics of data traffic transferred through the node. The node has a link error MIB storing Error ratio and Reliability of interface of the node. When the Error ratio is too high, the node starts running a Layer 2 protocol for monitoring data traffic and calculates Penalty of the node. When Penalty is higher than predefined Suppress Threshold, the node deactivates Layer 3 link while the Layer 2 protocol still monitors the interface. Once the Penalty becomes lower than Reuse Threshold, the node reactivates the Layer 3 link that had been previously deactivated. When Penalty becomes zero (0), the node clears the Error ratio and stops the Layer 2 protocol for monitoring the data traffic.

Claims

1. A method for dynamic error dampening in a node in a network system comprising a management node, the method comprising:

retrieving statistics of data traffic of the node, wherein said statistics comprises a number of total incoming packets (INt), a number of erred incoming packets (INe), a number of total outgoing packets (OUTt), and a number of erred outgoing packets (OUTe), wherein the node comprises a link error Management Information Base (MIB);

calculating Error ratio value (E) and Reliability value (R) of the link error MIB based on said statistics from said retrieving, wherein 0≦

R≦

1;

determining that the Error ratio value (E) is greater than Threshold, and subsequently starting an error measure protocol for monitoring the data traffic over Layer 2 link of the node and calculating Penalty value (P) of the node as (MaxPenalty*(1−

R)), wherein MaxPenalty is a preconfigured upper bound of the Penalty value (P); and

ascertaining that the Penalty value (P) from said initializing falls in a range selected from the group consisting of a first range wherein (Suppress Threshold (ST)<

P), a second range wherein (Reuse Threshold (RT)<

P≦

ST), a third range wherein (0<

P≦

RT), and a fourth range wherein (P=0), wherein the first range is associated with recalculating the Penalty value (P) as (P*(1−

R)), and deactivating Layer 3 link of the node, wherein the second range is associated with continuing of transferring the data traffic, wherein the third range is associated with said recalculating and reactivating the Layer 3 link of the node, and wherein the fourth range is associated with said reactivating and resetting of monitoring the Error ratio value (E).

2. The method of claim 1, said deactivating the Layer 3 link comprising:

shutting down the Layer 3 link of the node, wherein the Layer 3 link indicates Network layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) network management model; and

trapping the link error Management Information Base (MIB) to send a notification of Event “

Link L3 Down”

to the management node of the network system such that the node does not receive any incoming data traffic for routing from other nodes in the network system.

3. The method of claim 1, said reactivating Layer 3 link comprising:

resuming usage of the Layer 3 link of the node that had been previously shut down from said deactivating, wherein the Layer 3 link indicates Network layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) network management model; and

trapping the link error Management Information Base (MIB) to send a notification of Event “

Link L3 Up”

to the management node of the network system such that the management node resumes sending the data traffic to the node that had been previously shut down by deactivating, for routing to other nodes in the network system.

4. The method of claim 1, said resetting of monitoring comprising:

trapping the link error Management Information Base (MIB) to send a notification of Event “

Clear Error Ratio”

to the management node of the network system such that the management node removes the Error ratio value (E) associated with the node; and

stopping the error measure protocol from monitoring data traffic over Layer 2 link of the node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of total incoming packets (INt), the number of erred incoming packets (INe), the number of total outgoing packets (OUTt), and the number of erred outgoing packets (OUTe) are available from the Interface Group Management Information Base (IF-MIB) of the node, wherein

the Error ratio value (E) is calculated as MAX(ErrorRatioIn, ErrorRatioOut), wherein,

(ErrorRatioIn=INe/INt),

(ErrorRatioOut=OUTe/OUTt), and

the Reliability value (R) is selected from the group consisting of 0, 0.1, 0.5, and 1, wherein,

each value is respectively associated with a disjointly predefined range of the Error ratio value (E).

6. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable hardware storage device having a computer readable program code stored therein, said computer readable program code containing instructions that performs dynamic error dampening in a node in a network system comprising a management node, the dynamic error dampening comprising;

retrieving statistics of data traffic of the node, wherein said statistics comprises a number of total incoming packets ONO, a number of erred incoming packets (INe), a number of total outgoing packets (OUTt), and a number of erred outgoing packets (OUTe), wherein the node comprises a link error Management Information Base (MIB);

calculating Error ratio value (E) and Reliability value (R) of the link error MIB based on said statistics from said retrieving, wherein 0≦

R≦

1;

determining that the Error ratio value (E) is greater than Threshold, and subsequently starting an error measure protocol for monitoring the data traffic over Layer 2 link of the node and calculating Penalty value (P) of the node as (MaxPenalty*(1−

R)), wherein MaxPenalty is a preconfigured upper bound of the Penalty value (P); and

ascertaining that the Penalty value (P) from said initializing falls in a range selected from the group consisting of a first range wherein (Suppress Threshold (ST)<

P), a second range wherein (Reuse Threshold (RT)<

P≦

ST), a third range wherein (0<

P≦

RT), and a fourth range wherein (P=0), wherein the first range is associated with recalculating the Penalty value (P) as (P*(1−

R)), and deactivating Layer 3 link of the node, wherein the second range is associated with continuing of transferring the data traffic, wherein the third range is associated with said recalculating and reactivating the Layer 3 link of the node, and wherein the fourth range is associated with said reactivating and resetting of monitoring the Error ratio value (E).

7. The computer program product of claim 6, said deactivating the Layer 3 link comprising:

shutting down the Layer 3 link of the node, wherein the Layer 3 link indicates Network layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) network management model; and

trapping the link error Management Information Base (MIB) to send a notification of Event “

Link L3 Down”

to the management node of the network system such that the node does not receive any incoming data traffic for routing from other nodes in the network system.

8. The computer program product of claim 6, said reactivating Layer 3 link comprising:

resuming usage of the Layer 3 link of the node that had been previously shut down from said deactivating, wherein the Layer 3 link indicates Network layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) network management model; and

trapping the link error Management Information Base (MIB) to send a notification of Event “

Link L3 Up”

to the management node of the network system such that the management node resumes sending the data traffic to the node that had been previously shut down by deactivating, for routing to other nodes in the network system.

9. The computer program product of claim 6, said-resetting of monitoring comprising:

trapping the link error Management Information Base (MIB) to send a notification of Event “

Clear Error Ratio”

to the management node of the network system such that the management node removes the Error ratio value (E) associated with the node; and

stopping the error measure protocol from monitoring data traffic over Layer 2 link of the node.

10. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the number of total incoming packets (INt), the number of erred incoming packets (INe), the number of total outgoing packets (OUTt), and the number of erred outgoing packets (OUTe) are available from the Interface Group Management Information Base (IF-MIB) of the node, wherein,

the Error ratio value (E) is calculated as MAX(ErrorRatioIn, ErrorRatioOut),

(ErrorRatioIn=INe/INt),

(ErrorRatioOut=OUTe/OUTt),

the Reliability value (R) is selected from the group consisting of 0, 0.1, 0.5, and 1, wherein

each value is respectively associated with a disjointly predefined range of the Error ratio value (E).

11. A computer system comprising a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and a computer readable hardware storage device coupled to the processor, said storage device containing program code configured to be executed by the processor via the memory to implement a method for dynamic error dampening in a node in a network system comprising a management node, the method comprising:

retrieving statistics of data traffic of the node, wherein said statistics comprises a number of total incoming packets (INt), a number of erred incoming packets (INe), a number of total outgoing packets (OUTt), and a number of erred outgoing packets (OUTe), wherein the node comprises a link error Management Information Base (MIB);

calculating Error ratio value (E) and Reliability value (R) of the link error MIB based on said statistics from said retrieving, wherein 0<

R≦

1;

determining that the Error ratio value (E) is greater than Threshold, and subsequently starting an error measure protocol for monitoring the data traffic over Layer 2 link of the node and calculating Penalty value (P) of the node as (MaxPenalty*(1−

R)), wherein MaxPenalty is a preconfigured upper bound of the Penalty value (P); and

ascertaining that the Penalty value (P) from said initializing falls in a range selected from the group consisting of a first range wherein (Suppress Threshold (ST)<

P), a second range wherein (Reuse Threshold (RT)<

P≦

ST), a third range wherein (0<

P≦

RT), and a fourth range wherein (P=0), wherein the first range is associated with recalculating the Penalty value (P) as (P*(1−

R)), and deactivating Layer 3 link of the node, wherein the second range is associated with continuing of transferring the data traffic, wherein the third range is associated with said recalculating and reactivating the Layer 3 link of the node, and wherein the fourth range is associated with said reactivating and resetting of monitoring the Error ratio value (E).

12. The computer system of claim 11, said deactivating the Layer 3 link comprising:

shutting down the Layer 3 link of the node, wherein the Layer 3 link indicates Network layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) network management model; and

trapping the link error Management Information Base (MIB) to send a notification of Event “

Link L3 Down”

to the management node of the network system such that the node does not receive any incoming data traffic for routing from other nodes in the network system.

13. The computer system of claim 11, said reactivating Layer 3 link comprising:

resuming usage of the Layer 3 link of the node that had been previously shut down from said deactivating, wherein the Layer 3 link indicates Network layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) network management model; and

trapping the link error Management Information Base (MIB) to send a notification of Event “

Link L3 Up”

to the management node of the network system such that the management node resumes sending the data traffic to the node that had been previously shut down by deactivating, for routing to other nodes in the network system.

14. The computer system of claim 11, said resetting of monitoring comprising:

trapping the link error Management Information Base (MIB) to send a notification of Event “

Clear Error Ratio”

to the management node of the network system such that the management node removes the Error ratio value (E) associated with the node; and

stopping the error measure protocol from monitoring data traffic over Layer 2 link of the node.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the number of total incoming packets (INt), the number of erred incoming packets (INe), the number of total outgoing packets (OUTt), and the number of erred outgoing packets (OUTe) are available from the Interface Group Management Information Base (IF-MIB) of the node, wherein

the Error ratio value (E) is calculated as MAX(ErrorRatioIn, ErrorRatioOut),

(ErrorRatioIn=INe/INt),

(ErrorRatioOut=OUTe/OUTt),

the Reliability value (R) is selected from the group consisting of 0, 0.1, 0.5, and 1, wherein

each value is respectively associated with a disjointly predefined range of the Error ratio value (E).

16. A process for supporting computer infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing a method for dynamic error dampening in a node in a network system comprising a management node, the method comprising:

retrieving statistics of data traffic of the node, wherein said statistics comprises a number of total incoming packets (INt), a number of erred incoming packets (INe), a number of total outgoing packets (OUTt), and a number of erred outgoing packets (OUTe), wherein the node comprises a link error Management Information Base (MIB);

calculating Error ratio value (E) and Reliability value (R) of the link error MIB based on said statistics from said retrieving, wherein 0≦

R≦

1;

determining that the Error ratio value (E) is greater than Threshold, and subsequently starting an error measure protocol for monitoring the data traffic over Layer 2 link of the node and calculating Penalty value (P) of the node as (MaxPenalty*(1−

R)), wherein MaxPenalty is a preconfigured upper bound of the Penalty value (P); and

ascertaining that the Penalty value (P) from said initializing falls in a range selected from the group consisting of a first range wherein (Suppress Threshold (ST)<

P), a second range wherein (Reuse Threshold (RT)<

P≦

ST), a third range wherein (0<

P≦

RT), and a fourth range wherein (P=0), wherein the first range is associated with recalculating the Penalty value (P) as (P*(1−

R)), and deactivating Layer 3 link of the node, wherein the second range is associated with continuing of transferring the data traffic, wherein the third range is associated with said recalculating and reactivating the Layer 3 link of the node, and wherein the fourth range is associated with said reactivating and resetting of monitoring the Error ratio value (E).

17. The process of claim 16, said deactivating the Layer 3 link comprising:

shutting down the Layer 3 link of the node, wherein the Layer 3 link indicates Network layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) network management model; and

trapping the link error Management Information Base (MIB) to send a notification of Event “

Link L3 Down”

to the management node of the network system such that the node does not receive any incoming data traffic for routing from other nodes in the network system.

18. The process of claim 16, wherein said reactivating Layer 3 link comprising:

resuming usage of the Layer 3 link of the node that had been previously shut down from said deactivating, wherein the Layer 3 link indicates Network layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) network management model; and

trapping the link error Management Information Base (MIB) to send a notification of Event “

Link L3 Up”

to the management node of the network system such that the management node resumes sending the data traffic to the node that had been previously shut down by deactivating, for routing to other nodes in the network system.

19. The process of claim 16, said resetting of monitoring comprising:

trapping the link error Management Information Base (MIB) to send a notification of Event “

Clear Error Ratio”

to the management node of the network system such that the management node removes the Error ratio value (E) associated with the node; and

stopping the error measure protocol from monitoring data traffic over Layer 2 link of the node.

20. The process of claim 16, wherein the number of total incoming packets (INt), the number of erred incoming packets (INe), the number of total outgoing packets (OUTt), and the number of erred outgoing packets (OUTe) are available from the Interface Group Management Information Base (IF-MIB) of the node, wherein

the Error ratio value (E) is calculated as MAX(ErrorRatioIn, ErrorRatioOut),

(ErrorRatioIn=INe/INt), wherein (ErrorRatioOut=OUTe/OUTt),

the Reliability value (R) is selected from the group consisting of 0, 0.1, 0.5, and 1, wherein

each value is respectively associated with a disjointly predefined range of the Error ratio value (E).