Fault location method and network device

Abstract

This specification provides a fault locating method and network device. The method includes: upon identifying a fault on a second main control board, sending a first instruction to the CPU of the second main control board via a TX direction switch module of the first main control board and an RX direction switch module of the second main control board; the CPU of the first main control board then locates the fault on the second main control board based on the response information. This method can improve the timeliness and efficiency of main control board fault locating.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a fault location method and network equipment. Background Art

[0002] With the development of mobile communications technology, people have become increasingly dependent on the internet, especially mobile networks. This growth has also driven the development of carriers' infrastructure, including ICT equipment (information and communications technology equipment), such as integrated services access network aggregation layer equipment (hereinafter referred to as "A equipment") and integrated services access network equipment (hereinafter referred to as "B equipment") used to aggregate traffic from Class A access devices. A equipment, in particular, is often installed alongside base stations. By 2020, 98% of administrative villages nationwide had access to fiber optic cables, 4G network coverage reached 98%, and over 700,000 5G base stations had been built. As the number of base stations increases, so too will the number of A equipment.

[0003] The increase in the number of devices is also accompanied by an increase in the number of professional maintenance personnel required. However, the equipment is often located in remote villages or high mountains. Due to factors such as labor costs and the low probability of communication equipment problems, it is not possible to have a professional maintenance personnel on site at each base station. Therefore, there are often no relevant personnel around the base stations.

[0004] As the device runs for a long time, various problems may arise. Some problems can be solved by remotely logging into the device through Telnet. However, if the device encounters a startup problem, it is necessary to connect to the device's serial port to locate the problem. However, due to the device's geographical location and manpower constraints, it is impossible to connect to the device's serial port in time. Maintenance personnel may need to wait until they arrive at the site. After the personnel arrive, they must connect the PC to the device's CON port via a serial cable to view the device information. This delay in problem location affects the efficiency of problem location. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To overcome the problems existing in the related art, this specification provides a fault location method and network device.

[0006] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of this specification, a fault location method is provided, the method comprising:

[0007] When a fault is detected on the second main control board, a first instruction is sent to the CPU of the second main control board through the TX direction switch module of the first main control board and the RX direction switch module of the second main control board;

[0008] So that the CPU of the second main control board sends the response information to the CPU of the first main control board through the TX direction switch module of the second main control board and the RX direction switch module of the first main control board according to the first instruction;

[0009] The CPU of the first main control board locates the fault of the second main control board according to the response information;

[0010] The TX direction switch module is a one-to-two buffer module, and the RX direction switch module is a two-to-one switch module.

[0011] Among them, the TX direction switch module of the first main control board is respectively connected to the CPU of the first main control board, the network interface of the first main control board and the RX direction switch module of the second main control board;

[0012] The TX direction switch module of the second main control board is respectively connected to the CPU of the second main control board, the network interface of the second main control board and the RX direction switch module of the first main control board.

[0013] The method further comprises:

[0014] The first main control board sends a first signal to the RX direction switch module in the first main control board and the RX direction switch module in the second main control board through the CPU, so that the RX direction switch module in the first main control board and the RX direction switch module in the second main control board are disconnected from the network interface.

[0015] The method further comprises:

[0016] The first main control board controls the RX direction switch module in the first main control board and the RX direction switch module in the second main control board through the CPLD / FPGA module to disconnect from the network interface.

[0017] The CPU of the first main control board locates the fault of the second main control board according to the response information, including:

[0018] The network management device reads the response information received by the CPU of the first main control board to locate the fault of the second main control board.

[0019] It can be seen from the above embodiments that for a network device with dual main control boards, when a main control board fails and the management network port cannot be used or even cannot be controlled, the normal main control board can be used to debug the faulty main control board through telnet redirection technology, thereby improving the timeliness and efficiency of fault location.

[0020] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present specification, a network device is provided, comprising: a first main control board and a second main control board, wherein the first main control board comprises: a first CPU, a first RX direction two-to-one switch module, and a first TX direction one-to-two buffer module, and the second main control board comprises: a second CPU, a second RX direction two-to-one switch module, and a second TX direction one-to-two buffer module.

[0021] The first RX direction two-choose-one switch module is respectively connected to the first CPU, the second TX direction one-to-two buffer module and the network interface of the first main control board, and the first TX direction one-to-two buffer module is respectively connected to the first CPU, the second RX direction two-choose-one switch module and the network interface;

[0022] The second RX direction two-choose-one switch module is respectively connected to the second CPU, the first TX direction one-to-two buffer module, and the network interface of the second main control board; the second TX direction one-to-two buffer module is respectively connected to the second CPU, the first RX direction two-choose-one switch module, and the network interface;

[0023] The first main control board includes:

[0024] an identification module, configured to send a first instruction to the CPU of the second main control board through the TX direction switch module of the first main control board and the RX direction switch module of the second main control board when a fault of the second main control board is identified;

[0025] So that the CPU of the second main control board sends the response information to the CPU of the first main control board through the TX direction switch module of the second main control board and the RX direction switch module of the first main control board according to the first instruction;

[0026] A response module, configured to locate a fault on the second main control board according to the response information;

[0027] The TX direction switch module is a one-to-two buffer module, and the RX direction switch module is a two-to-one switch module.

[0028] The first main control board further includes:

[0029] The sending module is used to send a first signal to the RX direction switch module in the first main control board and the RX direction switch module in the second main control board through the CPU, so that the RX direction switch module in the first main control board and the RX direction switch module in the second main control board are disconnected from the network interface.

[0030] The response module is further configured to control the RX direction switch module in the first main control board and the RX direction switch module in the second main control board to disconnect from the network interface through the CPLD / FPGA module.

[0031] The response module is further configured to read the response information received by the CPU of the first main control board through a network management device to locate the fault of the second main control board.

[0032] According to a third aspect of the embodiments of this specification, a network device is provided, comprising: a memory, a processor, and a program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the program implements the method steps in the above embodiments when executed by the processor.

[0033] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the specification and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the specification.

[0035] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a fault location method according to an exemplary embodiment of this specification.

[0036] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a dual-master control architecture according to an exemplary embodiment of this specification.

[0037] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a network architecture according to an exemplary embodiment of this specification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, when referring to the drawings, identical numerals in different figures represent identical or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all embodiments consistent with this specification. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with certain aspects of this specification, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0039] The terms used in this specification are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit this specification. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," "the," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0040] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used in this specification to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish the same type of information from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of this specification, the first main control board may also be referred to as the second main control board, and similarly, the second main control board may also be referred to as the first main control board. Depending on the context, the term "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "at the time of" or "when" or "in response to determining."

[0041] Existing operator network equipment is a dual-master control environment. Each master control has a serial port and a management network port. Each master control board has a serial port named CONSOLE and a management network port named MANAGMENT. After the device is connected to the network, you can log in and manage the device through the management network port. However, if the network connection is disconnected, you cannot log in and manage the device through the network. At this time, you can only log in to the device on-site through the CONSOLE port by connecting it to a PC with a serial cable.

[0042] However, these devices are often installed in remote areas. Therefore, maintenance personnel typically leave the site after the device goes online. Subsequent management and maintenance are performed via Telnet login or network management systems. If a main control board (SCM) fails to boot during operation (possibly due to a hardware failure causing a boot loop, a software bug causing a program hang, or a software version error causing a halt in the boot phase), another SCM device can function, minimizing the impact on the operator's business. However, since maintenance personnel require time to arrive, and this timeframe is unpredictable, the equipment environment presents significant risks. If another SCM device also experiences a problem, network services could be disrupted, resulting in serious consequences. This impacts both the operator and its users, resulting in indirect financial losses.

[0043] In order to solve the above problems, the present disclosure provides a method for locating a fault. Figure 1 As shown, the method includes:

[0044] S101: When a fault is detected on the second main control board, a first instruction is sent to the CPU of the second main control board via the TX direction switch module of the first main control board and the RX direction switch module of the second main control board.

[0045] So that the CPU of the second main control board sends the response information to the CPU of the first main control board through the TX direction switch module of the second main control board and the RX direction switch module of the first main control board according to the first instruction;

[0046] S102: The CPU of the first main control board locates the fault of the second main control board according to the response information;

[0047] The TX direction switch module is a one-to-two buffer module, and the RX direction switch module is a two-to-one switch module.

[0048] like Figure 2 As shown, a first main control board and a second main control board, the first main control board includes: a first CPU, a first RX direction two-choice switch module and a first TX direction one-to-two buffer module, the second main control board includes: a second CPU, a second RX direction two-choice switch module and a second TX direction one-to-two buffer module.

[0049] The first RX direction two-choose-one switch module is connected to the first CPU, the second TX direction one-to-two buffer module, and the network interface of the first main control board respectively; the first TX direction one-to-two buffer module is connected to the first CPU, the second RX direction two-choose-one switch module, and the network interface respectively. The second RX direction two-choose-one switch module is connected to the second CPU, the first TX direction one-to-two buffer module, and the network interface of the second main control board respectively; the second TX direction one-to-two buffer module is connected to the second CPU, the first RX direction two-choose-one switch module, and the network interface respectively.

[0050] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the second main control board is the master main control board before the failure. When the second main control board fails, a master-slave switching will be performed, that is, the first main control board is enabled to be the master main control board. At this time, the CPU in the first main control board can send a first signal to the RX direction switch module in the first main control board and the RX direction switch module in the second main control board through the CPU, so that the RX direction switch module in the first main control board and the RX direction switch module in the second main control board are disconnected from the network interface.

[0051] Through the above method, it is possible to effectively avoid the situation where a faulty main control board (such as the second main control board) cannot control the second RX direction switch module, resulting in the inability to disconnect the connection between the second RX direction switch module and the network port and connect the first TX direction switch module.

[0052] In this embodiment, the TX direction switch module is a one-to-two buffer module. Figure 2As shown, because the TX direction switch module is a one-to-two buffer module, during the above steps, only the RX direction two-choice switch needs to be controlled; the TX direction does not need to be controlled. The TX direction switch module will continuously send the CPU's serial port information to both the RJ45 connector and the RX direction two-choice switch of the opposite main control board. During normal operation, the RX direction two-choice switch directly connects to the RJ45 connector, and the serial port information from the opposite main control board is always disconnected, which has no impact on normal serial port debugging. When debugging the opposite main control board, you only need to switch the RX direction two-choice switch of the normal main control board to the TX direction one-to-two buffer from the opposite main control board (disconnecting the signal transmitted by the RJ45 connector). Serial port information sent from the opposite main control board's CPU can then be received.

[0053] In another embodiment, the switch control of the above-mentioned RX direction switch module can be implemented through CPLD / FPGA. Specifically, there is an inter-board signal line between the two main control boards. The CPLD / FPGA sets it to the receiving state by default and controls the RX direction two-choice switch according to its level.

[0054] On the main control board, there will be a pull-up resistor or a pull-down resistor to give this signal line a stable voltage level. For example, we give it a pull-down resistor here, which means that the voltage level of this signal line is low in the normal state. When the CPLD / FPGA senses that the voltage level of this signal line is low, the RX direction two-select switch is set to connect to the RJ45 crystal head connector.

[0055] When a main control board enters a fault state, we can control the normal main control board to enter the debug mode. After entering the debug mode, the inter-board signal line will be set to output a high level in the CPLD / FPGA of the normal main control board. At this time, the level received by the faulty main control board at the other end is a high level, and the RX direction two-choice switch will be switched to the opposite main control board. At this time, bidirectional communication can be achieved on the CPU serial port of the faulty main control board.

[0056] In this embodiment, since the RX direction switch module is controlled by CPLD / FPGA, only one line is needed to realize the control of the RX direction two-choice switch of the two main control boards, thus saving one inter-board signal line.

[0057] from Figure 2 It can be seen that the CPUs of the first and second main control boards are both connected to management network ports. The administrator can use the network management device to read the information of the faulty main control board through the management network port, thereby locating the fault of the faulty main control board.

[0058] In this embodiment, in order to realize the function described in this patent, redirection technology can also be used: the function of remotely logging into the console port of the target device can be realized through Telnet and asynchronous serial port, such as Figure 3 As shown:

[0059] After enabling Telnet and redirection on the server, users can establish a Telnet connection on their PC. By entering the redirection server address (192.168.100.240) and the Telnet redirection listening port number (6066), and selecting the TCP / IP connection method, they can access the device login interface, effectively connecting directly to the device's console via a serial cable. For example, the CPU on the secondary control board is the redirection server, the CPU on the primary control board is the device, and the RX direction switch module can be considered the console port. In principle, the console port is also an asynchronous serial port. Therefore, simply configuring the redirection port number and the network address of the management port on the primary and secondary control boards redirects input and output information from the serial port on the primary control board to the secondary control board.

[0060] It can be seen from the above embodiments that, for dual-master routing and switching equipment, when a main control board fails and the management network port cannot be used or even cannot be controlled, the normal main control board can be used to debug the faulty main control board through telnet redirection technology, thereby improving the timeliness and efficiency of problem location.

[0061] Based on the above method embodiments, the present disclosure further provides a network device, comprising: a first main control board and a second main control board, wherein the first main control board comprises: a first CPU, a first RX direction two-choose-one switch module, and a first TX direction one-to-two buffer module, and the second main control board comprises: a second CPU, a second RX direction two-choose-one switch module, and a second TX direction one-to-two buffer module.

[0062] The first RX direction two-choose-one switch module is respectively connected to the first CPU, the second TX direction one-to-two buffer module and the network interface of the first main control board, and the first TX direction one-to-two buffer module is respectively connected to the first CPU, the second RX direction two-choose-one switch module and the network interface;

[0063] The second RX direction two-choose-one switch module is respectively connected to the second CPU, the first TX direction one-to-two buffer module, and the network interface of the second main control board; the second TX direction one-to-two buffer module is respectively connected to the second CPU, the first RX direction two-choose-one switch module, and the network interface;

[0064] The first main control board includes:

[0065] an identification module, configured to send a first instruction to the CPU of the second main control board through the TX direction switch module of the first main control board and the RX direction switch module of the second main control board when a fault of the second main control board is identified;

[0066] So that the CPU of the second main control board sends the response information to the CPU of the first main control board through the TX direction switch module of the second main control board and the RX direction switch module of the first main control board according to the first instruction;

[0067] A response module, configured to locate a fault on the second main control board according to the response information;

[0068] The TX direction switch module is a one-to-two buffer module, and the RX direction switch module is a two-to-one switch module.

[0069] The first main control board further includes:

[0070] The sending module is used to send a first signal to the RX direction switch module in the first main control board and the RX direction switch module in the second main control board through the CPU, so that the RX direction switch module in the first main control board and the RX direction switch module in the second main control board are disconnected from the network interface.

[0071] The response module is further configured to control the RX direction switch module in the first main control board and the RX direction switch module in the second main control board to disconnect from the network interface through the CPLD / FPGA module.

[0072] The response module is further configured to read the response information received by the CPU of the first main control board through a network management device to locate the fault of the second main control board.

[0073] An embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a network device, which includes: a memory, a processor, and a program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the program implements the method steps in the above embodiments when executed by the processor.

[0074] For the device embodiments, since they basically correspond to the method embodiments, the relevant parts can be referred to the partial description of the method embodiments. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative, wherein the modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as modules may or may not be physical modules, that is, they may be located in one place, or they may be distributed on multiple network modules. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the scheme of this specification. A person of ordinary skill in the art can understand and implement it without paying any creative work.

[0075] The foregoing description of this specification describes specific embodiments. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps recited in the claims can be performed in an order different from that described in the embodiments and still achieve the desired results. Furthermore, the processes depicted in the accompanying drawings do not necessarily require the specific order shown or the sequential order to achieve the desired results. In certain embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

[0076] Other embodiments of the present invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the present invention and practice of the invention claimed herein. This specification is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present invention that follow the general principles of this specification and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not claimed herein. The description and examples are to be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the present invention being indicated by the following claims.

[0077] It should be understood that the present description is not limited to the exact structure that has been described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present description is limited only by the appended claims.

[0078] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this specification and is not intended to limit this specification. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of this specification should be included in the scope of protection of this specification.

Claims

1. A fault location method, characterized in that: The method comprises: When a fault is detected on the second main control board, a first instruction is sent to the CPU of the second main control board through the TX direction switch module of the first main control board and the RX direction switch module of the second main control board; So that the CPU of the second main control board sends the response information to the CPU of the first main control board through the TX direction switch module of the second main control board and the RX direction switch module of the first main control board according to the first instruction; The CPU of the first main control board locates the fault of the second main control board according to the response information; The TX direction switch module is a one-to-two buffer module, and the RX direction switch module is a two-to-one switch module.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The TX direction switch module of the first main control board is respectively connected to the CPU of the first main control board, the network interface of the first main control board and the RX direction switch module of the second main control board; The TX direction switch module of the second main control board is respectively connected to the CPU of the second main control board, the network interface of the second main control board and the RX direction switch module of the first main control board.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first main control board sends a first signal to the RX direction switch module in the first main control board and the RX direction switch module in the second main control board through the CPU, so that the RX direction switch module in the first main control board and the RX direction switch module in the second main control board are disconnected from the network interface.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further comprises: The first main control board controls the RX direction switch module in the first main control board and the RX direction switch module in the second main control board through the CPLD / FPGA module to disconnect from the network interface.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein The CPU of the first main control board locates the fault of the second main control board according to the response information, including: The network management device reads the response information received by the CPU of the first main control board to locate the fault of the second main control board.

6. A network device, characterized in that: The network device includes: a first main control board and a second main control board, the first main control board includes: a first CPU, a first RX direction two-choose-one switch module and a first TX direction one-to-two buffer module, the second main control board includes: a second CPU, a second RX direction two-choose-one switch module and a second TX direction one-to-two buffer module, The first RX direction two-choose-one switch module is respectively connected to the first CPU, the second TX direction one-to-two buffer module and the network interface of the first main control board, and the first TX direction one-to-two buffer module is respectively connected to the first CPU, the second RX direction two-choose-one switch module and the network interface; The second RX direction two-choose-one switch module is respectively connected to the second CPU, the first TX direction one-to-two buffer module, and the network interface of the second main control board; the second TX direction one-to-two buffer module is respectively connected to the second CPU, the first RX direction two-choose-one switch module, and the network interface; The first main control board includes: an identification module, configured to send a first instruction to the CPU of the second main control board through the TX direction switch module of the first main control board and the RX direction switch module of the second main control board when a fault of the second main control board is identified; So that the CPU of the second main control board sends the response information to the CPU of the first main control board through the TX direction switch module of the second main control board and the RX direction switch module of the first main control board according to the first instruction; A response module, configured to locate a fault on the second main control board according to the response information; The TX direction switch module is a one-to-two buffer module, and the RX direction switch module is a two-to-one switch module.

7. The network device according to claim 6, wherein: The first main control board further includes: The sending module is used to send a first signal to the RX direction switch module in the first main control board and the RX direction switch module in the second main control board through the CPU, so that the RX direction switch module in the first main control board and the RX direction switch module in the second main control board are disconnected from the network interface.

8. The network device according to claim 6, wherein: The response module is further used to control the RX direction switch module in the first main control board and the RX direction switch module in the second main control board to disconnect from the network interface through the CPLD / FPGA module.

9. The network device according to claim 6, wherein: The response module is further configured to read the response information received by the CPU of the first main control board through a network management device to locate the fault of the second main control board.

10. A network device, characterized in that: The network device includes: a memory, a processor, and a program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the program implements the method steps according to any one of claims 1 to 5 when executed by the processor.

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