Diagnostic port for inter-switch link testing in electrical, optical and remote loopback modes

• US 9,998,215 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2016
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brocade Communications Systems, LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Skirmont, David Aaron, Buragohain, Saumitra, Wusirika, Balakrishna, Kollu, Badrinath, Kim, Kyuh
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu, Li
• Application Number:
  US15/194,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20160308606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/073 using an out-of-service signal H04B10/071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/077 using a supervisory or additional signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0773 Network aspects, e.g. central monitoring of transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0775 Performance monitoring and measurement of transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0779 Monitoring line transmitter or line receiver equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/079 using measurements of the data signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0793 Network aspects, e.g. central monitoring of transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0795 Performance monitoring; Measurement of transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0799 Monitoring line transmitter or line receiver equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25 Arrangements specific to fibre transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/27 Arrangements for networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/25 Routing or path finding in a switch fabric
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0062 Network aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0083 Testing; Monitoring

Abstract

A diagnostic testing utility is used to perform single link diagnostics tests including an electrical loopback test, an optical loopback test, a link traffic test, and a link distance measurement test. To perform the diagnostic tests, two ports at each end of a link are identified and then statically configured by a user. The ports will be configured as D_Ports and as such will be isolated from the fabric with no data traffic flowing through them. The ports will then be used to send test frames to perform the diagnostic tests.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a processor; and

a network port coupled to the processor;

wherein the network port is configured to;

couple to a media interface module;

receive a message from a remote device via the media interface module;

enter a diagnostic mode that comprises a plurality of diagnostic states that are associated with a sequence of loopback tests performed in the diagnostic mode;

automatically transition to a first diagnostic state of the plurality of diagnostic states according to the sequence of loopback tests based on receiving the message and that the network port is in the diagnostic mode;

provide a loopback command to the media interface module to perform a first optical loopback test that loopbacks incoming optical signals at the media interface module based on transitioning to the first diagnostic state;

receive a second message from the remote device via the media interface module after completing the first optical loopback test;

automatically transition to a second diagnostic state of the plurality of diagnostic states according to the sequence of loopback tests to perform a second optical loopback test based on receiving the second message; and

provide a second loopback command to the media interface module to transmit optical signals to a second media interface module of the remote device for optical loopback testing based on transitioning to the second diagnostic state.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the network port is further configured to:

receive a third message after entering the diagnostic mode via the media interface module; and

transition to a third diagnostic state of the plurality of diagnostic states according to the sequence of loopback tests based on receiving the third message; and

provide a third loopback command to the media interface module to perform an electrical loopback test that loopbacks incoming electrical signals at the media interface module based on transitioning to the third diagnostic state.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the network port is further configured to:

provide a third loopback command to the media interface module to perform a link frame test;

receive a plurality of test frames for the link frame test from the second media interface module; and

retransmit the plurality of test frames to the second media interface module.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the network port is further configured to detect an on-and-off toggling of a second network port associated with the second media interface module to indicate the first optical loopback test is complete.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the network port is further configured to perform an on-and-off toggling to indicate the second optical loopback test is complete.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a switch or a host bus adaptor.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the network port conforms to Fibre Channel standards.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the network port is further configured to:

receive a ready frame via the media interface module indicating the second media interface module is ready to perform the first optical loopback test, wherein the message includes the ready frame; and

provide, in response to the ready frame, a response frame indicating the media interface module is ready to perform the first optical loopback test based on transitioning into the first diagnostic state.

9. A network comprising:

a first device including a first processor coupled to a network port and a first media interface module;

a second device including a second processor coupled to a second network port and a second media interface module; and

a link connected to the first media interface module and the second media interface module;

wherein the second network port is configured to;

receive a message from the first device via the second media interface module;

enter a diagnostic mode that comprises a plurality of diagnostic states that are associated with a sequence of loopback tests performed in the diagnostic mode;

automatically transition to a first diagnostic state of the plurality of diagnostic states according to the sequence of loopback tests based on receiving the message and that the second network port is in the diagnostic mode;

provide a loopback command to perform a first optical loopback test that loopbacks incoming optical signals at the second media interface module based on transitioning to the first diagnostic state;

receive a second message from the first device via the second media interface module after completing the first optical loopback test;

automatically transition to a second diagnostic state of the plurality of diagnostic states according to the sequence of loopback tests to perform a second optical loopback test based on receiving the second message; and

provide a second loopback command to the second media interface module to transmit optical signals to the first media interface module for optical loopback testing based on transitioning to the second diagnostic state.

10. The network of claim 9, wherein the second network port is further configured to provide the loopback command to the second media interface module to perform the first optical loopback test after passing an electrical loopback test when in the diagnostic mode.

11. The network of claim 9, wherein the second network port is further configured to:

receive a third message via the second media interface module after entering the diagnostic mode;

transition to a third diagnostic state of the plurality of diagnostic states according to the sequence of loopback tests based on receiving the third message; and

provide a third loopback command to the second media interface module to perform an electrical loopback test that loopbacks incoming electrical signals at the second media interface module based on transitioning to the third diagnostic state.

12. The network of claim 9, wherein the second network port is further configured to:

provide a third loopback command to the second media interface module to perform a link frame test;

receive a plurality of test frames for the link frame test from the second media interface module; and

retransmit the plurality of test frames to the second media interface module.

13. The network of claim 9, wherein the second network port is further configured to perform an on-and-off toggling to indicate the second optical loopback test is complete to the network port.

14. The network of claim 9, wherein the second network port is further configured to detect an on-and-off toggling of the network port to indicate the first optical loopback test is complete.

15. The network of claim 9, wherein the second network port is further configured to:

receive a ready frame via the second media interface module indicating the first media interface module is ready to perform the first optical loopback test, wherein the message includes the ready frame; and

provide, in response to the ready frame, a response frame indicating the second media interface module is ready to perform the first optical loopback test based on transitioning into the first diagnostic state.

16. A method comprising:

entering, by a network port, a diagnostic mode that comprises a plurality of diagnostic states that are associated with a sequence of loopback tests performed in the diagnostic mode;

receiving, via a media interface module at the network port, a message from a remote device;

automatically transitioning the network port to a first diagnostic state of the plurality of diagnostic states according to the sequence of loopback tests based on receiving the message and that the network port is in the diagnostic mode;

provide, by the network port, a loopback command to the media interface module to perform a first optical loopback test that loopbacks incoming optical signals at the media interface module based on transitioning to the first diagnostic state;

receiving, via the media interface module at the network port, a second message from a remote device after completing the first optical loopback test;

automatically transitioning the network port to a second diagnostic state of the plurality of diagnostic states according to the sequence of loopback tests to perform a second optical loopback test based on receiving the second message; and

providing, by the network port, a second loopback command to the media interface module to transmit optical signals to a second media interface module of the remote device for optical loopback testing based on transitioning to the second diagnostic state.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, via the media interface module and at the network port, a third message after entering the diagnostic mode;

transitioning the network port to a third diagnostic state of the plurality of diagnostic states according to the sequence of loopback tests based on entering the diagnostic mode and receiving the third message; and

providing a third loopback command to the media interface module to perform an electrical loopback test that loopbacks incoming electrical signals at the media interface module based on entering the diagnostic mode.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising performing an on-and-off toggling at the network port associated with the media interface module to indicate the second optical loopback test is complete.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising detecting an on-and-off toggling to indicate the first optical loopback test is complete.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing, by the network port, a third loopback command to the media interface module to perform a link frame test;

receiving, at the media interface module, a plurality of test frames for the link frame test from the second media interface module; and

retransmitting, using the media interface module, the plurality of test frames to the second media interface module.