Dynamic traffic mirroring of automotive Ethernet traffic over network topology

Abstract

Here, a technique is discussed that facilitates dynamic traffic monitoring of automotive Ethernet traffic over a network topology. The technique includes a promoter node receiving a traffic mirroring request from a requester node via an automotive Ethernet network, and based on the code, the promoter node determining a source port and a source switch of a source node. The technique further includes the promoter node determining a traffic mirroring network path between the source node and the requester node based on the obtained network topology matrix. The technique further includes the promoter node initiating mirroring of network traffic of the source node by sending traffic mirroring instructions to switches in the determined traffic mirroring network path, the traffic mirroring instructions instructing the switches to mirror network traffic of the source port to the requesting node.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to dynamic traffic mirroring of automotive Ethernet traffic on a network topology. Background Art

[0002] Automotive Ethernet networking technology refers to the use of Ethernet communications to interconnect various electronic components and systems in vehicles. It serves as an in-vehicle network, providing high-speed data communication between sensors, electronic control units (ECUs), infotainment systems, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and more. Commonly used automotive Ethernet variants are 100BASE-T1 and 1000BASE-T1, which offer speeds of 100Mbps and 1Gbps, respectively, over unshielded single twisted-pair cables. Automotive Ethernet unifies in-vehicle connectivity, providing high bandwidth, real-time capabilities, security, and diagnostic capabilities for the growing number of electronic devices and software in next-generation vehicles. Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to one embodiment, a method for facilitating dynamic traffic monitoring of automotive Ethernet traffic on a network topology includes: receiving, by a facilitator node, a traffic mirroring request from a requester node via an automotive Ethernet network, wherein the traffic mirroring request includes a code associated with a source node in the automotive Ethernet network, the automotive Ethernet network having a network topology of multiple interconnected switches; determining, based on the source node association code, a source port and a source switch through which the source node is directly linked to the automotive Ethernet network; obtaining a network topology matrix that specifies one or more ports of each switch connected to at least one of the other multiple interconnected switches of the network topology; determining, based on the network topology matrix, a traffic mirroring network path between the source node and the requester node; and initiating mirroring of the network traffic of the source node by sending, by the facilitator node, a traffic mirroring instruction to switches in the determined traffic mirroring network path via the automotive Ethernet network, the traffic mirroring instruction instructing the switches to mirror the network traffic of the source port to the requester node.

[0004] In this embodiment, the requester node is connected to a requester port of a requester switch of a plurality of interconnected switches of the network topology, and the request from the requester node is associated with an identification of the requester port and the requester switch.

[0005] In this embodiment, the source node association code is selected from an indicator of the source node, an indicator of the source port and source switch of the source node, a car diagnostic code indicating the source node, and combinations thereof.

[0006] In this embodiment, the determination of the source port and the source switch includes: obtaining a table of node association codes; finding an entry in the table that matches the received code; extracting an identification of the switch and one of its ports from the entry; and designating the identified switch and port as the source port and source switch through which the source node is directly linked to the automotive Ethernet network.

[0007] In this embodiment, each entry in the network topology matrix specifies which one or more ports of a switch are directly connected to which one or more ports of a directly connected switch of a plurality of interconnected switches of the network topology.

[0008] This embodiment also includes detecting, by the facilitator node, changes in the network topology; and updating the network topology matrix accordingly.

[0009] In this embodiment, determining the traffic mirror network path includes: calculating an optimal network path between the source node and the requester node; and allocating the calculated optimal network path to the traffic mirror network path.

[0010] In such an embodiment, the calculation of the optimal network path uses zero weighting to determine the shortest path.

[0011] In such an embodiment, the calculation of the optimal network path uses weighting to determine the shortest path.

[0012] In such an embodiment, the weighting is based on determining the functional flow at each port and / or switch in the network path.

[0013] In such an embodiment, the facilitator node tracks the functional traffic on each port and / or switch of the network topology.

[0014] In this embodiment, the traffic mirroring instruction directly instructs the switch in the determined traffic mirroring network path to mirror the network traffic of the source port to the requesting node.

[0015] In this embodiment, the traffic mirroring instruction requests the switches in the determined traffic mirroring network path to cooperate in mirroring the network traffic of the source port to the requesting node.

[0016] According to another embodiment, a method for facilitating dynamic traffic monitoring of automotive Ethernet traffic on a network topology includes: receiving, by a facilitator node, a traffic mirroring request from a requestor node via an automotive Ethernet network, wherein the traffic mirroring request includes a code associated with a source node in the automotive Ethernet network, the automotive Ethernet network having a network topology with multiple interconnected switches; determining, based on the source node association code, a source port and a source switch through which the source node is directly linked to the automotive Ethernet network; obtaining a network topology matrix, wherein each entry in the network topology matrix specifies which one or more ports of a switch are directly connected to which one or more ports of a directly connected switch of the multiple interconnected switches in the network topology; determining, based on the network topology matrix, a traffic mirroring network path between the source node and the requestor node, wherein determining the traffic mirroring network path includes calculating an optimal network path between the source node and the requestor node; and assigning the calculated optimal network path to the traffic mirroring network path; and initiating mirroring of network traffic of the source node by sending, by the facilitator node, a traffic mirroring instruction to switches in the determined traffic mirroring network path via the automotive Ethernet network, the traffic mirroring instruction instructing the switches to mirror the network traffic of the source port to the requestor node.

[0017] In this embodiment, the source node association code is selected from an indicator of the source node, an indicator of the source port and source switch of the source node, a car diagnostic code indicating the source node, and combinations thereof.

[0018] In this embodiment, the determination of the source port and the source switch includes: obtaining a table of node association codes; finding an entry in the table that matches the received code; extracting an identification of the switch and one of its ports from the entry; and designating the identified switch and port as the source port and source switch through which the source node is directly linked to the automotive Ethernet network.

[0019] In this embodiment, the calculation of the optimal network path uses weighting to determine the shortest path, and the weighting is based on the determination of the functional flow on each port and / or switch in the network path.

[0020] According to yet another embodiment, a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium encoded with instructions executable by one or more processors, the instructions, when executed, directing the one or more processors to perform operations for facilitating dynamic traffic monitoring of automotive Ethernet traffic on a network topology, the operations comprising: receiving, by a facilitator node, a traffic mirroring request from a requestor node via an automotive Ethernet network, wherein the traffic mirroring request includes code associated with a source node in the automotive Ethernet network, the automotive Ethernet network having a network topology of a plurality of interconnected switches; determining, based on the source node associated code, a source port and a source switch through which the source node is directly connected to the automotive Ethernet network; and obtaining a network topology matrix, wherein the network topology matrix Each entry in specifies which one or more ports of the switch are directly connected to which one or more ports of the directly connected switches of the multiple interconnected switches in the network topology; based on the network topology matrix, determining a traffic mirror network path between the source node and the requester node, wherein the determination of the traffic mirror network path includes calculating an optimal network path between the source node and the requester node; and assigning the calculated optimal network path to the traffic mirror network path; and initiating mirroring of the network traffic of the source node by sending a traffic mirror instruction to the switches in the determined traffic mirror network path via the automotive Ethernet network by the facilitator node, the traffic mirror instruction instructing these switches to mirror the network traffic of the source port to the requesting node.

[0021] In this embodiment, the source node association code is selected from an indicator of the source node, an indicator of the source port and source switch of the source node, a car diagnostic code indicating the source node, and combinations thereof.

[0022] In this embodiment, the calculation of the optimal network path uses weighting to determine the shortest path, and the weighting is based on the determination of the functional flow on each port and / or switch in the network path. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 An example vehicle with an onboard network is shown according to one or more implementations described herein.

[0024] Figure 2 An example of a computer architecture for a computing system capable of performing the techniques described herein is shown.

[0025] Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating a process for performing an example method for facilitating dynamic traffic monitoring of Automotive Ethernet traffic on a network topology, according to one or more implementations described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The techniques described herein facilitate dynamic traffic monitoring of Automotive Ethernet traffic over a network topology. For example, without prior knowledge of the network topology of a vehicle's Automotive Ethernet network, an automotive diagnostic tool may be plugged into an available port on the network. By providing automotive diagnostic routine control code and utilizing the techniques described herein, the automotive diagnostic tool monitors network traffic flowing into and out of the network-connected system addressed by the provided automotive diagnostic routine control code.

[0027] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout the several views of various systems and methods shown and described herein, the disclosed methods are applicable to motor vehicles, including manual, autonomous, and semi-autonomous driving.

[0028] Figure 1 An example vehicle 100 suitable for implementing one or more embodiments of the techniques described herein is shown. The diagram illustrates an in-vehicle network 110 that uses Automotive Ethernet technology to internally connect automotive devices and systems. An Automotive Ethernet network includes a set of interconnected nodes, such as electronic control units (ECUs), that are linked to the network via an automotive switch.

[0029] In the context of automotive Ethernet, a switch is an Ethernet switch designed to provide connectivity and packet switching capabilities within the vehicle's in-vehicle network. Automotive Ethernet switches allow different ECUs and devices in the vehicle to interconnect and communicate via Ethernet. Automotive Ethernet switches provide a fast switching fabric, delivering data with predictable low latency for time-critical traffic. Examples of automotive Ethernet switch vendors include Broadcom, Marvell, Microchip, Renesas, and TTTech.

[0030] In automotive Ethernet, a node is a device or endpoint connected to the in-vehicle Ethernet network for data communication. A node is an addressable device with a network interface that connects to the general vehicle architecture for data exchange and control. As part of an integrated electrical and electronic system, nodes communicate over a switched Ethernet fabric.

[0031] In an automotive Ethernet network, nodes can be, for example, ECUs, sensors, actuators, user interfaces, gateways, etc. ECUs are embedded computers that control various subsystems in the vehicle, such as the engine, transmission, and audio / visual (AV) display, via the network. Sensors are devices that collect data about the vehicle's condition or environment. Examples of such sensors include cameras, radar (i.e., radio detection and ranging), ultrasonic, and temperature sensors. Actuators are output devices that receive control signals via the network to operate vehicle mechanisms. Examples of actuators include motors, pumps, compressors, relays, or lights. Examples of user interfaces include dashboard displays, infotainment head units, etc. User interfaces provide user interaction capabilities. Gateways are hardware devices that convert between Ethernet and other in-vehicle buses, such as CAN (Controller Area Network) or LIN (Local Interconnect Network), to enable interoperability between new and legacy interfaces.

[0032] An Automotive Ethernet network consists of multiple interconnected switches. Each switch has multiple ports that can be used to directly connect to nodes or other switches. Nodes connect to the network by connecting to available ports on the Automotive Ethernet network switches. These switches form a network by directly connecting other switches to one or more of their ports. Unless the context indicates otherwise, a direct connection or link is a wired or wireless network connection with no intervening nodes or ports. Furthermore, a direct wired connection or link does not include wireless network connections, which are directly connected or linked as described above.

[0033] In one or more embodiments described herein, an Ethernet switch and one or more nodes are connected to the switch ports using an xMII interface without physical transceivers, thereby preventing the need to split devices between the nodes and the switch ports. This creates significant challenges for monitoring Ethernet traffic at a specific node, particularly if the node is located on an internal network subnet and is not directly accessible from an external connector such as a DLC. A Data Link Connector (DLC) is a multi-pin diagnostic connection port on cars, trucks, and motorcycles that is used to connect a scan tool to a specific vehicle's control module and access on-board diagnostics and real-time data streams.

[0034] "xMII" refers to media independent interfaces, such as RMII, RGMII, SMII, etc., which support in-vehicle networks at 100Mbps (megabits per second) or multi-Gbps (gigabits per second). Specifically, this includes 100BASE-T1 and 1000BASE-T1. 100BASE-T1 provides 100Mbps Ethernet connection through a single unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable. It is optimized for automotive applications and has features such as reduced EMI (electromagnetic interference) sensitivity. It is used in many modern vehicles. For example, 1000BASE-T1 provides 1Gbps Ethernet connection through a single UTP cable. It appears in new vehicle designs that use higher bandwidth for applications such as cameras, radar, and infotainment.

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, the in-vehicle network 110 of the vehicle 100 has five interconnected switches: switch A 120, switch B 130, switch C 140, switch D 150, and switch E 160. The ports of the switches are represented by circled single digits from 1 to 8. As shown, the switches of the in-vehicle network 110 are interconnected in this manner:

[0036] Port 7 of switch A 120 is connected to port 7 of switch B 130;

[0037] Ports 1 and 3 of switch A 120 are connected to ports 3 and 4 of switch C 140, respectively.

[0038] Port 2 of switch B 130 is connected to port 6 of switch E 160;

[0039] Port 6 of switch A 120 is connected to port 3 of switch D 150; and

[0040] • Ports 8 and 6 of switch D 150 are connected to ports 8 and 4 of switch E 160, respectively.

[0041] As shown in the diagram, a switch has multiple nodes connected to it via ports. Some switches may have nodes connected to unlabeled ports. This is depicted as an empty circle on the line between the switch and the node. Some switches may have open ports, meaning ports with no nodes connected to them. This is depicted by a line emanating from the switch with no nodes connected to it.

[0042] Switch A 120 has node 122, node 124, and node 126 connected to it via untagged ports. Switch A 120 also has open port 128.

[0043] Switch B 130 has a facilitator node 132 connected via port 4 and nodes 134 and 136 connected to it via untagged ports. Switch B 130 also has an open port 138.

[0044] Switch C 140 has a source node 142 connected via port 2 and nodes 144 and 146 connected thereto via untagged ports.

[0045] Switch D 150 has a requester node 152 connected via port 5 and nodes 154, 156, and 158 connected thereto via untagged ports.

[0046] Switch E 160 has nodes 162, 164, and 166 connected to it via untagged ports.

[0047] Many vehicles offer a form of on-board diagnostics (OBD) for the vehicle's self-diagnostic and reporting capabilities. In addition to a standardized set of diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs), modern OBD implementations use standardized digital communication ports to provide real-time data, which enables people to quickly identify and repair faults within the vehicle. In some embodiments described herein, the vehicle 100 utilizes automotive diagnostic codes (ADCs) or regular control codes (RCCs), which indicate vehicle systems or areas that may have problems that require further investigation.

[0048] For example, the first character of the ADC might indicate the vehicle system or area where the problem is located. For example, "P" stands for powertrain, "C" for chassis, "B" for body, or "U" for network communication. The second character indicates whether the problem is general (0) or manufacturer-specific (1).

[0049] The requester node 152 may be an external automotive diagnostic tool that is physically connected to the in-vehicle network 110 of the vehicle 100 via an available port of an available switch of the network. As shown, port 5 of the switch D 150 may be used for an external device, such as an automotive diagnostic tool, that may be connected to the in-vehicle network 110. Such a tool may be referred to as a "tester."

[0050] In some embodiments described herein, after requester node 152 connects to port 5 of switch D 150, it sends a traffic mirroring request to facilitator node 132. The traffic mirroring request may include an associated ADC code. This indicates a problem based on the ADC code. This code is associated with a node on the vehicle network. To better troubleshoot the problem, it may be helpful to illustrate the network traffic log associated with the issue that caused the ADC code. However, the tester does not know the network topology of the vehicle network 110 of the vehicle 100.

[0051] Network topology refers to the physical and logical layout of a network. It defines how different nodes and devices connect to each other to enable communication and data exchange. Topology describes the arrangement of network elements such as routers, switches, firewalls, and end-point devices, as well as the interconnections between them. Unless the context indicates otherwise, network topology here refers to the data link layer (i.e., Layer 2).

[0052] For some embodiments described herein, the tester (acting as requester node 152) provides a subject ADC code to facilitator node 132 via a traffic mirroring request. This ADC code is associated with source node 142. For example, the ADC code may have a "P," indicating that it may be related to the powertrain. Thus, source node 142 may be the powertrain system of vehicle 100. Therefore, this ADC code is a source node-associated code.

[0053] Although the tester (as requester node 152 ) does not know which system / node is problematic, the effect of the request to the facilitator node 132 is to request that the tester receive a copy (ie, a mirror) of the network traffic to and from the source node 142 .

[0054] Ethernet traffic mirroring is a method of monitoring network traffic by forwarding copies of incoming and outgoing packets from one port of a switch (the source switch) (e.g., the mirrored source port) to another port (the mirrored destination port) of another switch (e.g., the destination switch), where the packet copies can be studied. Here, network traffic from a port of source node 142 (Switch C: Port 2) is mirrored to a port of requester node 152 (Switch D: Port 5).

[0055] This allows network traffic to be studied without disrupting the production network, enabling network analysis and troubleshooting. The mirror destination port receives a copy of traffic that has passed through one or more switches and their interconnected ports along the traffic mirroring path. In most cases, this has minimal impact on switching performance or network throughput because mirroring is accomplished by hardware on the switch and mirrored traffic can be set to a low priority.

[0056] The facilitator node 132 is an ECU that manages the network and understands its topology. Based on the source node association code, the facilitator node 132 identifies the source node (shown as 142) and determines which port and switch the source node is connected to. As shown, the source port is 2 and the source switch is C 140.

[0057] The facilitator node 132 has a network topology matrix stored in accessible memory. The network topology matrix specifies one or more ports of each switch that are connected to at least one of the other plurality of interconnected switches of the network topology. Each entry in the network topology matrix specifies which one or more ports of the switch are directly connected to which one or more ports of the directly connected switch of the plurality of interconnected switches of the network topology.

[0058] based on Figure 1 , Table 1 below is an example of a network topology matrix:

[0059]

[0060] Table 1

[0061] The matrix in Table 1 shows the ports used to connect switches (AE) to each other. A blank entry indicates that there is no direct connection between the switches in that entry. If there is a direct connection, the number indicates the interconnected port of these switches.

[0062] The facilitator node 132 determines the traffic mirror network path between the source node and the requester node by using the network topology matrix. The facilitator node 132 can calculate the optimal network path between the source node and the requester node and assign the calculated optimal network path to the traffic mirror network path.

[0063] The facilitator node 132 initiates mirroring of the network traffic of the source node 142 by sending traffic mirroring instructions to the switches in the determined traffic mirroring network path, the traffic mirroring instructions instructing the switches to mirror the network traffic of the source port to the requesting node 152 .

[0064] Figure 2 An example of a computer architecture for a computing system 200 capable of executing the techniques described herein is shown. The computer architecture in this figure illustrates a typical in-vehicle ECU or computer system. The facilitator node 132 may be implemented as the computing system 200. However, the system may also be a server computer, workstation, desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, network appliance, e-reader, smartphone, embedded system, or other computing device. Although shown as a single discrete device, the computing system 200 may be part of a distributed collection of interconnected components that implement the same functionality.

[0065] The computing system 200 includes a processor 202 (e.g., a central processing unit or "CPU"), system storage (e.g., memory) 204, input / output (I / O) devices 206—e.g., a display, keyboard, mouse, microphone, camera, and associated controllers, a secondary storage system 208 (e.g., a hard drive), and various other subsystems 210. In various embodiments, the computing system 200 also includes a communication ("comm") port 212 that is operable to connect to an in-vehicle network 220 or an external communication ("comm") system 222. The aforementioned components can be interconnected via one or more buses 216, the in-vehicle network 220, and / or the comm system 222.

[0066] The comm system 222 enables external wireless communication with devices and networks external to the system, such as communication with the external communication network 250. External wireless communication may include, for example, one or more of the following: satellite communication, WI-FI TM 、BLUETOOTH TM , cellular communications, radio communications and / or Internet communications.

[0067] System memory 204 can store data and machine-readable instructions (e.g., computer-readable instructions). The machine-readable instructions can configure computing system 200. The machine-readable instructions can include one or more instruction modules. The instruction modules can include computer program modules. The instruction modules can include one or more of the following: request processor 230, ADC lookup 232, ADC database 234, path determiner 236, network topology matrix 238, network director 240, and / or other instruction-based modules.

[0068] Although the modules in the example depicted in the figure are implemented using machine-readable instructions, other similar functional modules can be implemented using few or no machine-readable instructions. These modules are implemented using hardware (e.g., circuits) and analog and / or digital signals. In other cases, such modules can be implemented using a combination of hardware and machine-implemented instructions.

[0069] The request processor 230 receives a traffic mirroring request from the requester node 152. The traffic mirroring request includes code associated with the source node 142 in an automotive Ethernet network (e.g., the in-vehicle network 220) having a network topology of multiple interconnected switches. This code is referred to as source node associated code.

[0070] The source node association code may be, for example, an indicator of the source node, an indicator of the source port and source switch of the source node, a car diagnostic code indicating the source node, and combinations thereof.

[0071] In one or more embodiments, requester node 152 is connected to a requester port (e.g., port 5 as a destination port) of a requester switch (e.g., switch D 150 as a destination switch) among a plurality of interconnected switches (e.g., switches AE) in a network topology, and the request from the requester node is associated with an identification of the requester port and the requester switch (e.g., a destination port and a destination switch for traffic mirroring).

[0072] Based on the ADC database 234, the ADC lookup 232 finds the code associated with the source node in the database and finds the system or node associated with the code. More specifically, the ADC lookup 232 determines the source port and source switch through which the source node is directly linked to the vehicle network.

[0073] In some embodiments, the ADC lookup 232 determines the source port and source switch by obtaining a table of node association codes; finding an entry in the table that matches the received code; extracting an identification of the switch and one of its ports from the entry; and designating the identified switch and port as the source port and source switch through which the source node is directly linked to the vehicle network.

[0074] Path determiner 236 obtains a network topology matrix 238. Network topology matrix 238 specifies one or more ports of each switch connected to at least one of the other plurality of interconnected switches in the network topology. Each entry in the network topology matrix specifies which one or more ports of the switch are directly connected to which one or more ports of a directly connected switch in the plurality of interconnected switches in the network topology. Based on the obtained network topology matrix, path determiner 236 determines a traffic mirroring network path between the source node and the requester node.

[0075] The path determiner 236 calculates the optimal network path between the source node and the requester node and assigns the calculated optimal network path to the traffic mirror network path. In the network path, each switch is considered to be a node of a graph, and their interconnections, such as links, are considered to be the distances between nodes. In some embodiments, the calculation of the optimal network path uses zero weighting (e.g., equal distances for all links) to determine the shortest path. In other embodiments, the calculation of the optimal network path uses weightings for those links to determine the shortest path. For example, a weight can be assigned to each link based on the bandwidth utilization estimated on that link when the system is designed. In some embodiments, the facilitator node tracks the functional traffic bandwidth utilization on each port and / or switch of the network topology in real time, and dynamically calculates and updates the weights on the links based on the functional traffic bandwidth utilization on those links.

[0076] The network director 240 initiates mirroring of the source node's network traffic by sending a traffic mirroring instruction to each switch in the determined traffic mirroring network path. The traffic mirroring instruction instructs each switch to activate self-port mirroring of traffic from its own source port to its own destination port. Switches typically have a self-port mirroring function. Utilizing one or more embodiments described herein, the technology enables network-wide traffic mirroring across multiple switches by instructing each switch to enable its associated self-port mirroring. To achieve this, an optimal mirroring path from the source switch to the destination switch is calculated. Furthermore, the self-mirroring source port and destination port are determined for each switch in the path.

[0077] For example, the shortest path from the source switch to the destination switch might be C → A → D. If so, then this might be the optimal path: C (port 2) → C (port 3) → A (port 1) → A (port 6) → D (port 3) → D (port 5). This is based on the topology matrix. Based on this, the final mirrored configuration for each switch along the path might be C (port 2 → port 3), A (port 1 → port 6), and D (port 3 → port 5).

[0078] Figure 3 1 is a flow chart illustrating a process 300 for performing an example method for facilitating dynamic flow monitoring of Automotive Ethernet traffic on a network topology. For ease of explanation, process 300 may be described as being performed by a system described herein. Such a system may be, for example, a facilitator node 132 or a computing system 200. Process 300 illustrates dynamic flow monitoring of Automotive Ethernet traffic on a network topology.

[0079] At operation 310, the system receives a traffic mirroring request 312 from a requestor node (e.g., a tester at requestor node 152). The traffic mirroring request includes code associated with a source node (e.g., source node 142) in an automotive Ethernet network (e.g., in-vehicle network 220) having a network topology of multiple interconnected switches. This code is referred to as a source node association code.

[0080] The source node association code may be, for example, an indicator of a source node, an indicator of a source port and a source switch of the source node, a vehicle diagnostic routine control code indicating the source node, and combinations thereof.

[0081] In one or more embodiments, requester node 152 is connected to a requester port (e.g., port 5) of a requester switch (e.g., switch D 150) among a plurality of interconnected switches (e.g., switches AE) of a network topology, and the request from the requester node is associated with an identification of the requester port (e.g., a final destination port) and the requester switch (e.g., a destination switch).

[0082] At operation 314, the system (e.g., facilitator node 132) locates the source node association code in the ADC database 316. The system locates the node associated with the code. More specifically, the system determines the source port and source switch through which the source node is directly linked to the vehicle network.

[0083] In some embodiments, the facilitator node determines the source port and source switch by obtaining a table of node association codes (e.g., ADC database 316); finding an entry in the table that matches the received code; extracting an identification of the switch and one of its ports from the entry; and designating the identified switch and port as the source port and source switch through which the source node is directly linked to the vehicular network.

[0084] At operation 318, the system (e.g., facilitator node 132) obtains a network topology matrix 320. The network topology matrix 320 specifies one or more ports of each switch connected to at least one of the other plurality of interconnected switches of the network topology. Each entry in the network topology matrix specifies which one or more ports of the switch are directly connected (e.g., directly linked) to which one or more ports of the directly connected switches of the plurality of interconnected switches of the network topology. Based on the obtained network topology matrix, the system determines a traffic mirroring network path between the source node and the requester node.

[0085] Furthermore, at operation 318, the system calculates an optimal network path between the source node and the destination node and assigns the calculated optimal network path to the traffic mirror network path. In some cases, and / or more specifically, the system calculates an optimal network path between a source port of the source switch and a destination port of the destination switch and assigns the calculated optimal network path to the traffic mirror network path. In some embodiments, switches are considered nodes of a graph, and their interconnections, such as links, are considered distances between nodes. The calculation of the optimal network path uses zero weighting (e.g., equal distance for all links) to determine the shortest path.

[0086] In other embodiments, the optimal network path calculation utilizes weighted links to determine the shortest path. For example, a weight may be assigned to each link based on the estimated bandwidth utilization of each link during system design. In some embodiments, the facilitator node tracks the bandwidth utilization of functional flows on each port and / or switch in the network topology in real time and dynamically calculates and updates the weights of the links based on the bandwidth utilization of the functional flows on these links.

[0087] At operation 322, the system generates traffic mirroring instructions for the switches in the determined traffic mirroring network path, the traffic mirroring instructions instructing the switches to mirror the network traffic of the source port to the requesting node. In some cases, and / or more specifically, the system generates traffic mirroring instructions for the switches in the determined traffic mirroring network path, the traffic mirroring instructions instructing the switches to activate self-port mirroring from their own source ports to their own destination ports.

[0088] As a result of operation 322, the system starts mirroring the network traffic of the source node by sending the generated traffic mirroring instruction to the vehicle network 330. More specifically, the system sends instructions to the switches of the determined traffic mirroring network path, instructing the switches to activate self-port mirroring.

[0089] In some embodiments, the facilitator sends a self-port mirroring request with relevant information directly to each switch in the determined traffic mirroring path. In some embodiments, the facilitator sends the self-port mirroring request with relevant information to multiple nodes in the network (e.g., ECUs or computer systems), which are considered hosts of the switches in the determined traffic mirroring path. Each host then forwards the self-port mirroring request to the switch it controls.

[0090] In some implementations, the system can detect changes in the network topology and accordingly update the network topology matrix 320. For example, the system can detect that a new node has been added to the network topology and, in response, the system can update the network topology matrix 320 to reflect the change in topology.

[0091] The above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Although the sizes and types of materials described herein are illustrative, they are by no means restrictive, but rather exemplary embodiments. In the claims below, the use of the terms "first," "second," "top," "bottom," etc., is merely used as labels and is not intended to impose numerical or positional requirements on their objects. As used herein, an element or step recited in the singular and preceded by the word "one" or "an" should be understood as not excluding a plurality of such elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly stated. In addition, the phrase "at least one of A and B" and the phrase "A and / or B" should each be understood to mean "only A, only B, or both A and B." In addition, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, embodiments that "comprise" or "have" one or more elements having a particular property may include additional such elements that do not have that property. And when broad descriptive adverbs such as "substantially" and "generally" are used to modify adjectives in this document, these adverbs mean "most", "mainly", "most", "significantly", "to a great extent" and / or "at least 51% to 99% of the possibility of 100%", and do not necessarily mean "completely", "entirely", "strictly", "entirely" or "100%". In addition, the word "close" may be used in this document to describe the position of one object or a portion thereof relative to another object or a portion thereof, and / or to describe the positional relationship of two objects or their respective parts relative to each other, and may mean "near", "adjacent", "close to", "near", "at that place", etc. The phrase "approximately equal to" as used herein may mean one or more of "completely equal to", "almost equal to", "equal to between 90% and 110%", etc.

[0092] This written description uses examples, including the best mode, to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use devices, systems, and compositions of matter, and to perform methods, in accordance with the present disclosure. It is the following claims (including equivalents) that define the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating dynamic traffic monitoring of automotive Ethernet traffic on a network topology, the method comprising: receiving, by a facilitator node, a traffic mirroring request from a requestor node via an automotive Ethernet network, wherein the traffic mirroring request includes a code associated with a source node in the automotive Ethernet network, the automotive Ethernet network having a network topology of a plurality of interconnected switches; determining, based on the source node association code, a source port and a source switch through which the source node is directly linked to the automotive Ethernet network; obtaining a network topology matrix specifying one or more ports of each switch connected to at least one of the other plurality of interconnected switches of the network topology; Based on the network topology matrix, determine the traffic mirror network path between the source node and the requester node; as well as The mirroring of the source node's network traffic is initiated by the facilitator node sending a traffic mirroring instruction to switches in the determined traffic mirroring network path via the automotive Ethernet network. The traffic mirroring instruction instructs these switches to mirror the network traffic of the source port to the requesting node.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The requester node is connected to a requester port of a requester switch of a plurality of interconnected switches of the network topology, and the request from the requester node is associated with an identification of the requester port and the requester switch.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein The source node association code is selected from an indicator of the source node, an indicator of the source port and source switch of the source node, a car diagnostic code indicating the source node, and combinations thereof.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The determination of the source port and the source switch includes: Get a table of node association codes; Find the entry in the table that matches the received code; extracting an identification of the switch and one of its ports from the entry; and The identified switch and port are designated as the source port and source switch through which the source node is directly linked to the Automotive Ethernet network.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein Each entry in the network topology matrix specifies which one or more ports of a switch are directly connected to which one or more ports of a directly connected switch of a plurality of interconnected switches of the network topology.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: detecting, by the facilitator node, a change in the network topology; and The network topology matrix is ​​updated accordingly.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein Determining the traffic mirroring network path includes: calculating an optimal network path between the source node and the requester node; and Assign the calculated best network path to the traffic mirroring network path.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The calculation of the optimal network path uses zero weighting to determine the shortest path.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The calculation of the optimal network path adopts weighting to determine the shortest path.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The weighting is based on determining the functional flow at each port and / or switch in the network path.

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