Network diagnostic systems and methods for altering the format and bandwidth of network messages

• US 20060198312A1
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Finisar Corporation (II-VI Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Finisar Corporation (II-VI Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lawson, A. Michael, Baxter, Scott D., Foster, Craig E., Oyadomari, Randy I., Abrahams, Paul C., Schondelmayer, Adam H.
• Application Number:
  US11/344,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20060198312A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/142 using statistical or mathematical methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0823 Errors, e.g. transmission errors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

A networking system is provided. The networking system may include a diagnostic module. The diagnostic module may perform any of a variety of network diagnostic functions. The diagnostic module may include an analysis module, which may receive messages and perform any of a variety of network diagnostic functions using the messages it receives. The diagnostic module may include a logic module, which may receive network messages having a first format or structure, may process the network messages it receives into messages having a second format or structure, and may send the processed messages to the analysis module.

Claims

1. A network diagnostic system comprising:

a network diagnostic module configured to perform one or more network diagnostic functions, the network diagnostic module comprising;

a first logic module, the first logic module being configured to receive a plurality of network messages from a plurality of communication paths of an aggregated link;

to process the plurality of network messages into at least one message having an alternate structure; and

to send the at least one message having an alternate structure to an analysis module;

the analysis module being configured to receive messages that have the alternate structure and to perform at least one network diagnostic function using the received messages that have the alternate structure.

2. The network diagnostic system as in claim 1, wherein the aggregated link supports a first bandwidth, the first bandwidth being the sum of the bandwidths of the plurality of communication paths;

wherein the analysis module supports up to a second bandwidth, the second bandwidth being less than the first bandwidth; and

wherein the first logic module is configured to send the at least one message having an alternate structure to the analysis module via a bandwidth supported by the analysis module.

3. The network diagnostic system as in claim 1, wherein the network diagnostic module further comprises:

an analysis module, the analysis module being configured to receive the at least one message having an alternate structure and to perform at least one network diagnostic function using the at least one message having an alternate structure.

4. The network diagnostic system of claim 3, further comprising:

a second logic module configured to receive, from the analysis module, network diagnostic data generated using the at least one message having an alternate structure and to transmit the network diagnostic data to a processor for client retrieval.

5. The network diagnostic system as in claim 3, wherein the analysis module comprises a network processor unit.

6. The network diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the network diagnostic module is configurable to perform any of a plurality of network diagnostic functions using the plurality of network messages from a plurality of communication paths of an aggregated link.

7. The network diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the network diagnostic module is configurable to perform one or more network diagnostic functions using network messages from any of a plurality of network protocols.

8. The network diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the network diagnostic module is configurable to perform one or more network diagnostic functions using network messages from any of a plurality of serial protocols.

9. The network diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the network diagnostic module is configurable to perform one or more network diagnostic functions using network messages from any of a plurality of physical-layer protocols.

10. The network diagnostic system as in claim 1, wherein first logic module comprises a field programmable gate array.

11. The network diagnostic system of claim 1, further comprising a printed circuit board that includes the network diagnostic module.

12. The network diagnostic system of claim 1, further comprising a chassis computing system that includes at least one blade that includes the network diagnostic module.

13. The network diagnostic system of claim 1, further comprising an appliance that includes the network diagnostic module and a storage device.

14. The network diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein the one or more network diagnostic functions comprise any of the following network diagnostic functions:

a protocol-analyzer network diagnostic function comprising;

receiving a first bit sequence comprising at least one network message;

comparing at least a portion of the first bit sequence with a second bit sequence; and

in response to the comparison, executing a capture of a third bit sequence comprising at least a portion of a network message; and

a monitor network diagnostic function comprising;

receiving a first bit sequence comprising at least one network message;

comparing at least a portion of the first bit sequence with a second bit sequence; and

in response to the comparison, generating one or more statistics.

15. A network diagnostic system comprising:

a network diagnostic module configured to perform one or more network diagnostic functions, the network diagnostic module comprising;

an analysis module, the analysis module being configured to receive one or more messages and to perform at least one network diagnostic function using the one or more messages, the analysis module being configured to support up to a first bandwidth; and

a first logic module, the first logic module being configured to receive a plurality of network messages from a plurality of communication paths of an aggregated link, the aggregated link supporting a second bandwidth that is greater than the first bandwidth, the second bandwidth being the sum of the bandwidths of the plurality of communication paths;

to process the plurality of network messages into at least one message having an alternate structure; and

to send the at least one message having an alternate structure to the analysis module via a bandwidth supported by the analysis module.

16. The network diagnostic system of claim 15, wherein the network diagnostic module is configurable to perform any of a plurality of network diagnostic functions using the plurality of network messages from a plurality of communication paths of an aggregated link.

17. The network diagnostic system of claim 15, wherein the network diagnostic module is configurable to perform one or more network diagnostic functions using network messages from any of a plurality of network protocols.

18. The network diagnostic system of claim 15, wherein the network diagnostic module is configurable to perform one or more network diagnostic functions using network messages from any of a plurality of serial protocols.

19. The network diagnostic system of claim 15, wherein the network diagnostic module is configurable to perform one or more network diagnostic functions using network messages from any of a plurality of physical-layer protocols.

20. The network diagnostic system of claim 15, further comprising:

a second logic module configured to receive, from the analysis module, network diagnostic data generated using the at least one message having an alternate structure and to transmit the network diagnostic data to a processor for client retrieval.