DETECTION OF CABLING ERROR IN COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20140105029A1
• Filed: 10/16/2012
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jain, Vipin, Sharma, Govind Prasad, Rao, Dhananjaya, Levenson, Herman
• Granted Patent: US 9,083,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/242
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method at a network device includes receiving a link layer advertisement, comparing information in the link layer advertisement with connectivity information stored at the network device, and based on the comparison, determining if there is a cabling error between the network device and a link peer transmitting the link layer advertisement. An apparatus and logic are also disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method at a network device comprising:

receiving a link layer advertisement;

comparing information in said link layer advertisement with connectivity information stored at the network device; and

based on said comparison, determining if there is a cabling error between the network device and a link peer transmitting said link layer advertisement.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the network device comprises a switch in a Clos network.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said connectivity information comprises a tier level for the network device and comparing said information comprises comparing a tier level for the link peer received in said link layer advertisement with said tier level for the network device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the network device comprises a leaf switch and further comprising identifying a cabling error if said tier level of the link peer is not equal to said tier level of the leaf switch plus one.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein a cabling error is not identified for predetermined specified types of links excluded from tier level checks.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the network device comprises a spine switch and further comprising identifying a cabling error if said tier level of the link peer is not equal to said tier level of the spine switch plus one or minus one.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said information in said link layer advertisement comprises a tier level, a chassis identifier, and a port identifier for the link peer.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said connectivity information comprises link information from a cable plan and said link layer advertisement information comprises a chassis identifier and a port identifier for the link peer.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising storing the link information at the network device in a table comprising an entry corresponding to a physical connection between the network device and the link peer.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the link information comprises a local chassis identifier and local port identifier for the network device, and a remote chassis identifier and remote port identifier for the link peer according to the cable plan.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a link layer advertisement comprises receiving a LLDP (Link Layer Discovery Protocol) message.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a link layer advertisement comprises receiving a CDP (Cisco Discovery Protocol) message.

13. An apparatus comprising

a processor for processing a link layer advertisement, comparing information in said link layer advertisement with connectivity information stored at the apparatus, and based on said comparison, determining if there is a cabling error between the apparatus and a link peer transmitting said link layer advertisement;

and

memory for storing said connectivity information.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the apparatus comprises a switch configured for operation in a Clos network.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said connectivity information comprises a tier level for the apparatus and comparing said information comprises comparing a tier level for the link peer with said tier level of the apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the processor is further configured, upon identifying a cabling error, to initiate one or more actions selected from a group comprising:

disabling a link between the apparatus and the link peer;

logging an error;

transmitting an SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) trap notification;

script invocation; and

reloading a cable plan.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said connectivity information comprises link information from a cable plan and said information in said link layer advertisement comprises a chassis identifier and a port identifier for the link peer.

18. Logic encoded on one or more tangible computer readable media for execution and when executed operable to:

compare information received in a link layer advertisement with connectivity information stored at a network device; and

based on said comparison, determine if there is a cabling error between the network device and a link peer transmitting said link layer advertisement.

19. The logic of claim 18 wherein said connectivity information comprises a tier level for the network device and comparing said information comprises comparing a tier level for the link peer with said tier level for the network device.

20. The logic of claim 18 wherein said connectivity information comprises link information from a cable plan and said information in said link layer advertisement comprises a chassis identifier and a port identifier for the link peer.