Network connection device with fault handling function and fault handling method thereof

Abstract

To provide a network connection apparatus with failure handling function and a failure handling method thereof, specifically, a network connection apparatus configured to automatically perform failure handling in one of fail-over mode and fail-down mode using a single latch switch.SOLUTION: A failure handling method and a network connection apparatus having a failure handling function using the method are provided, the method including: a step of setting an in-line mode, and connecting a second terminal of a latch switch having a first terminal connected to a transmitting unit, to security equipment connected to a receiving unit; and a step of switching, when an occurrence of a failure is confirmed, to one of fail-over mode related to switching of connection of the second terminal to the receiving unit and a fail-down mode related to disconnection between the second terminal and the security equipment, on the basis of failure handling settings.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a network connection device designed to perform failure handling in one of an automatic failover mode or a faildown mode using a single latch switch, and a failure handling method thereof.

Background Art

[0002] A network connection device that connects different networks to each other is set so that traffic can move to another network after being processed by security equipment. In such an environment, to temporarily solve the situation where a problem occurs in the security equipment or a very large amount of traffic concentrates and exceeds the processing capacity of the security equipment, causing a failure, in order to prevent network disconnection, traffic is bypassed and spanned to maintain the connection in a failover mode, and a method of handling a failure by changing the mode to one of a faildown mode that prevents traffic movement to ensure High Availability (HA) is known, and related documents are as follows.

[0003] However, in the prior art for automatically switching a network connection device to one of the above-described failover mode and faildown mode for failure handling, the network connection device has a somewhat complex structure, which ultimately accelerates the consumption of internal components and may cause a problem of causing a failure instead.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The disclosed embodiments aim to provide a network connection device with fault handling capabilities and a fault handling method thereof. Specifically, one objective is to enable the network connection device to automatically perform fault handling in either failover mode or failover mode using a single latch switch.

[0006] The technical problems that this embodiment aims to solve are not limited to those described above, and other technical problems can be inferred from the following embodiments. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of this disclosure is a fault handling method for a network connection device, which includes the steps of: setting an inline mode to connect the second terminal of a latch switch, whose first terminal is connected to a transmitter, to a security device connected to a receiver; and, when a fault is detected, switching to one of a failover mode relating to switching the connection of the second terminal to the receiver, and a failover mode relating to disconnecting the connection between the second terminal and the security device, based on the fault handling setting.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the system is switched to failover mode, the fault handling method may further include the steps of: distributing the first signal through a distributor to the latch switch and the safety equipment when the reception of the first signal through the receiving unit is confirmed; and preventing the second signal, which is the result of the first signal being processed by the safety equipment, from being transmitted to the latch switch by the coupling switch, and transmitting the first signal through the latch switch and the transmitting unit.

[0009] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, if the fault handling setting corresponds to the failover mode, the fault handling method may include determining whether or not to switch to the failover mode based on reference information regarding whether or not a command to maintain the inline mode by the security equipment is received within a previously set critical time.

[0010] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the reference information includes a reference value, the reference value asymptotically approaches an instruction value corresponding to the failover mode from an initial value over time, but is initialized to the initial value each time the maintain command for the inline mode is received, and when the critical time has elapsed and the reference value corresponds to the instruction value, the inline mode is converted to the failover mode, which may include a fault handling method.

[0011] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, a fault handling method may be included in which, upon confirmation that the power supply has been interrupted, the inline mode is switched to the failover mode by using power supplied from an emergency power supply to perform the coupling switch.

[0012] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the system switches to the faildown mode, upon confirmation of the reception of the first signal through the receiving unit, the first signal is distributed to the latch switch and the safety equipment via a distributor; the fault handling method further includes the steps of controlling the transmission of both the first and second signals by preventing the first signal from being transmitted to the latch switch by connecting the second terminal to the safety equipment, and preventing the transmission of the second signal, which is the result of the first signal being processed by the safety equipment, by disconnecting the connection, to the latch switch.

[0013] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the system switches to the faildown mode, a fault handling method may be included in which the connection is disconnected by deactivating the transmission function of a transceiver located between the security equipment and the second terminal.

[0014] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the inline mode is set, upon confirmation of the reception of the first signal through the receiving unit, the first signal is distributed to the latch switch and the safety equipment via a distributor, and the first signal is prevented from being transmitted to the latch switch by the connection of the second terminal to the safety equipment, and the second signal, which is the result of the first signal being processed by the safety equipment, is transmitted through the latch switch and the transmitting unit, which may include a fault handling method.

[0015] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, a fault handling method may be included in which the first terminal of the latch switch is connected to the transmitting unit, and the second terminal is controlled to be selectively connected to the security equipment or one of the receiving units connected to the receiving unit by selection of at least one of the inline mode, the failover mode, and the failover mode.

[0016] Another aspect of this disclosure is a network connection device having fault handling capabilities, wherein a latch switch has a first terminal connected to a transmitter and a second terminal selectively connected to one of a receiver and a security device connected to the receiver; and the network connection device includes a control circuit that connects the second terminal to the security device in inline mode, connects the second terminal to the receiver in failover mode, and disconnects the connection between the second terminal and the security device in failover mode.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a network connection device may further include a distributor that distributes signals input through the receiving unit to the latch switch and the security equipment.

[0018] Also, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, a network connection device may further include an optical module for digitizing a signal distributed to the security equipment and a MAC chip for inputting the signal digitized by the optical module after inspecting the communication standard of the signal.

[0019] Also, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, a network connection device may further include a transceiver whose transmission function is deactivated by the control circuit in the fail-down mode between the second terminal and the security equipment.

[0020] Also, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, a network connection device may further include an emergency power supply for the control circuit and the latch switch.

[0021] Also, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first terminal of the latch switch is connected to the transmission part of the second port, the second terminal is connected to the reception part of the first port or the security equipment, the third terminal of the latch switch is connected to the transmission part of the first port, the fourth terminal is connected to the reception part of the second port or the security equipment, and the control circuit connects the fourth terminal to the security equipment in the inline mode, connects the fourth terminal to the reception part of the second port in the failover mode, and disconnects the connection between the fourth terminal and the security equipment in the fail-down mode. A network connection device can be included.

[0022] Specific matters of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and the drawings.

Advantages of the Invention

[0023] When following the proposed embodiments, one or more of the following effects can be expected.

[0024] In the case of the embodiments described in this specification, a single latch switch can be used to automatically perform fault handling in the failover mode or the faildown mode.

[0025] Also, in the case of the embodiments described in this specification, by performing fault handling using a single latch switch, it is possible to reduce optical attenuation as compared with the method of performing fault handling through the complex structure according to the prior art.

[0026] Also, in the case of the embodiments described in this specification, by performing fault handling using a single latch switch, it is possible to reduce failures due to wear of internal components while reducing maintenance compared with the method of performing fault handling through the complex structure according to the prior art.

[0027] The effects of the invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0028] [Figure 1] A network connection device for handling faults according to one embodiment is shown. [Figure 2] It is a flowchart for explaining a fault handling method according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] A network connection device set to the inline mode according to one embodiment is shown. [Figure 4] A network connection device set to the failover mode according to one embodiment is shown. [Figure 5a] The interlocking operation between the security equipment and the internal configuration of the network connection device when set to the inline mode according to one embodiment is shown. [Figure 5b] The interlocking operation between the security equipment and the internal configuration of the network connection device when handling a fault in the failover mode according to one embodiment is shown. [Figure 5c]One embodiment demonstrates the coordinated operation between the internal configurations of the security equipment and the network connection device when the power supply is interrupted while handling a fault in failover mode. [Figure 6] One embodiment shows a network connection device configured in faildown mode. [Figure 7] One embodiment shows an example in which network connection devices connected in both directions operate in inline mode. [Figure 8] One embodiment shows an example in which network connection devices connected in both directions operate in failover mode. [Figure 9] One embodiment shows an example in which network connection devices connected in both directions operate in faildown mode. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0029] The terminology used in the embodiments has been selected as widely used and general terms as possible, taking into account the function described herein, although this may change depending on the intent of the articulators, case law, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In certain cases, the applicant may have arbitrarily selected some terms, in which case their meaning will be described in detail in the relevant sections of the description. Therefore, the terminology used in this disclosure must be defined not merely as a name of a term, but based on the meaning of that term and the overall content of this disclosure.

[0030] When a specification as a whole states that a part "includes" a certain component, unless otherwise stated, this does not mean that it excludes other elements, but rather that it may further include other elements.

[0031] The expression “at least one of a, b, and c” as described throughout the specification may encompass “a alone,” “b alone,” “c alone,” “a and b,” “a and c,” “b and c,” or “all of a, b, and c.”

[0032] The term "terminal" as used below can be embodied in computers or portable terminals that can connect to servers or other terminals via a network. Here, computers include, for example, laptops, desktops, and laptops equipped with a web browser, and portable terminals can include, for example, all types of handheld-based wireless communication devices such as IMT (International Mobile Telecommunication), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), W-CDMA (W-Code Division Multiple Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution) terminals, smartphones, and tablet PCs, as long as portability and mobility are guaranteed.

[0033] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below, with reference to the attached drawings, so that they can be easily implemented by a person with ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. However, this disclosure may be embodied in several different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0034] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0035] Figure 1 shows a network connection device that handles faults according to one embodiment.

[0036] Referring to Figure 1, the network connection device 100 can operate in conjunction with the security equipment 200. On the other hand, the system shown in Figure 1 only illustrates the components relating to this embodiment. Therefore, a person with ordinary skill in the art relating to this embodiment will understand that, in addition to the components shown in Figure 1, other general-purpose components may be included.

[0037] The network connection device 100 may be a device that controls traffic at the connection point between one network and another, such as a Network Interface Card (NIC). For example, the network connection device 100 can receive traffic from one network through the receiving unit 130 and then transmit traffic to another network through the transmitting unit 140. Figure 1 assumes a one-way traffic flow for the sake of explanation, and the following explanation will also assume a one-way traffic flow, but the bidirectional traffic flow will also be explained with reference to Figures 7 to 9.

[0038] The network connection device 100, along with the receiving unit 130 and the transmitting unit 140, may include a control circuit 110 and a latch switch 120. Here, the control circuit 110 may be a programmable circuit such as an FPGA, but any circuit that can communicate with the security equipment 200 and control other components inside the network connection device 100, such as the latch switch 120, can be used. The various control processes of the network connection device 100 described below can be performed by the control circuit 110. The latch switch 120 may be an optical switch, with a first terminal connected to the transmitting unit 140 and a second terminal that can be selectively connected to the receiving unit 130 or the security equipment 200. As can be seen from the arrows in Figure 1, the latch switch can receive traffic directly from the receiving unit 130 or from the security equipment 200 by the connection of the second terminal, which can be changed, and transmit it to the transmitting unit 140.

[0039] The security equipment 200 may be a host computer on which a security program runs, and this equipment may be used to process traffic acquired through the receiving unit 130 in a secure manner.

[0040] We will now describe the additional components that are omitted in Figure 1. First, the network connection device 100 may include a distributor that splits the signal received by the receiving unit 130 and transmits it to the latch switch 120 and the security equipment 200. The network connection device 100 may also include an optical module that can digitize the optical signal received through the receiving unit 130 into an electrical signal for input to the security equipment 200. For efficiency in terms of design, the optical module may be included in the network connection device 100 integrated with the transceiver. The network connection device 100 may also include a MAC chip that determines whether the traffic converted into an electrical signal by the optical module conforms to the network communication standard. Additionally, the network connection device 100 may further include a transceiver between the second terminal and the security equipment 200, whose transmission function is deactivated by the control circuit 110 in faildown mode, as will be described later. Furthermore, an emergency power supply to the control circuit 110 and latch switch 120 may be included in case the power supply is interrupted in failover mode, although the emergency power supply may be implemented using a supercapacitor.

[0041] The hardware components on the unidirectional traffic side of the network connection device 100 have been described above with reference to Figure 1. A fault handling method according to one embodiment will now be described with reference to Figure 2.

[0042] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a fault handling method according to one embodiment.

[0043] Referring to Figure 2, in step S210, the network connection device 100 sets inline mode and connects the second terminal of the latch switch 120, whose first terminal is connected to the transmitter, to the security equipment 200, which is connected to the receiver 130. In step S220, when a fault is detected, the network connection device 100 can switch to one of two modes based on the fault handling settings: a failover mode for switching the connection of the second terminal to the receiver 130, and a faildown mode for disconnecting the connection between the second terminal and the security equipment 200. The following describes each step in detail.

[0044] First, the inline mode is a general operating mode when there is no fault in the network connection device 100. In this mode, when traffic is received through the receiving unit 130, it is processed through the security equipment 200 and then transmitted through the transmitting unit 140. For this reason, when the first signal is received by the receiving unit 130, the latch switch 120 does not receive the first signal directly from the receiving unit 130, but must receive the second signal, which is the result of the first signal being processed by the security equipment 200. For this reason, the second terminal of the network connection device 100 can be connected to the security equipment 200 instead of the receiving unit 130. To explain the operation of this inline mode, please refer to Figure 3.

[0045] Figure 3 shows a network connection device configured in inline mode according to one embodiment.

[0046] Referring to Figure 3, when inline mode is set, once the reception of the first signal through the receiving unit 130 is confirmed, the first signal can be distributed to the latch switch 120 and the safety equipment 200 through a distributor (omitted in the drawing). At this time, since the second terminal is connected to the safety equipment 200, the first signal is controlled not to be transmitted to the latch switch 120 by the connection of the second terminal to the safety equipment 200, and the second signal, which is the result of the first signal being processed by the safety equipment 200, can be transmitted by the network connection device 100 through the latch switch 120 and then through the transmitting unit 140. When there are no problems, the network connection device 100 can operate through this process.

[0047] Subsequently, if a failure is detected, the network connection device 100 can handle the failure by operating in failover mode or failover mode, depending on its settings. Such settings can be pre-entered by the user.

[0048] First, in failover mode, a connection switching operation may occur in which the second terminal is directly connected to the receiving unit 130 instead of the safety equipment 200. To explain the signal processing process in failover mode when the second terminal is directly connected to the receiving unit 130, please refer to Figure 4.

[0049] Figure 4 shows a network connection device configured in failover mode according to one embodiment.

[0050] Referring to Figure 4, if a fault is detected and the network connection device 100 switches to failover mode, and the reception of the first signal through the receiving unit 130 is confirmed, the first signal can be distributed through the distributor to the latch switch 120 and the safety equipment 200. At this time, the second signal can be controlled so as not to be transmitted to the latch switch 120 by the aforementioned coupling switching. Instead, since the second terminal is directly connected to the receiving unit 130, the network connection device 100 can transmit the received first signal as is to the latch switch 120, and then transmit it through the latch switch 120 to the transmitting unit 140.

[0051] The coupling switching operation, which ensures the aforementioned signal processing occurs during failover mode, can be performed automatically when a fault is detected. The method for enabling this automatic coupling switching operation will be explained below.

[0052] According to one embodiment, the network connection device 100 determines whether or not to switch to failover mode based on reference information regarding whether or not an inline mode maintenance command from the security equipment 200 is received within a pre-set critical time. If it is determined that switching to failover mode is appropriate, the second terminal can be switched. Here, the inline mode maintenance command from the security equipment 200 can be continuously issued, for example, when the security equipment 200 is operating normally and traffic is not excessively congested.

[0053] Here, various methods can be used to determine whether or not an inline mode maintain command has been received within the critical time. One example is a method that uses a reference value. That is, the reference information includes a reference value, which can asymptotically approach an instruction value corresponding to failover mode from an initial value over time. In this case, the reference value can be initialized to its initial value each time an inline mode maintain command is received. When the critical time has elapsed and the reference value corresponds to the instruction value, the inline mode is switched to failover mode, and the coupling switching operation of the second terminal can be performed. As an example, the reference value can be operated like a kind of timer value, for example, decreasing by 1 every second from an initial value of 15, and when it reaches an instruction value of 0, it is switched to failover mode, and the reference value can be continuously initialized to 15 when an inline mode maintain command is received. To examine such a process, refer to Figures 5a and 5b.

[0054] Figure 5a shows the interoperability between the security equipment and the internal configuration of the network connection device when set to inline mode according to one embodiment.

[0055] As illustrated in Figure 5a, the security equipment 200 and the MAC chip 150 can be connected using the PCIe standard, the MAC chip 150 and the control circuit 110 can be connected using the I2C communication standard, and the control circuit 110 and the latch switch 120 can be connected using the I2C communication standard with GPIO. Such connection methods are merely illustrative, and other methods can also be used for connection. As shown in Figure 5a, the security equipment 200 or the MAC chip 150 can send an inline mode maintenance command to the control circuit. When an inline mode maintenance command is transmitted to the control circuit 110 in this way, the control circuit 110 initializes the reference value to its initial value and executes decount logic, thereby allowing the reference value to asymptotically approach the instructed value over time. As long as inline mode maintenance commands are continuously received, the network connection device 100 can operate as shown in Figure 5a.

[0056] Figure 5b shows the coordinated operation between the security equipment and the internal configuration of the network connection device when handling a fault in failover mode according to one embodiment.

[0057] As illustrated in Figure 5b, if a failure occurs in at least part of the security equipment 200 or MAC chip 150, and the command to maintain inline mode is not received for a critical period of time, the reference value may not be initialized to its initial value, and the reference value may correspond to, for example, become identical to, the instructed value. In this case, as shown in Figure 5b, the control circuit 110 can control the connection of the second terminal of the latch switch 120 to perform failover mode operation.

[0058] Here, when power is supplied normally, the system can switch from inline mode to failover mode through the process shown in Figures 5a and 5b. However, when power is not supplied normally, the reference value may not asymptotically approach the indicated value through the aforementioned process. For example, if power is not supplied to the control circuit 110, it may be difficult for the process described above to be carried out. In this case, an emergency power supply can be used to switch modes in the event of a fault. To consider such an embodiment, we will refer to Figure 5c.

[0059] Figure 5c illustrates the coordinated operation between the internal configurations of the security equipment and the network connection device when the power supply is interrupted in failover mode to handle a fault according to one embodiment.

[0060] As shown in Figure 5c, when the power supply is cut off and a blackout occurs, the control circuit 110 is unable to execute the Decount Logic for the reference value described above. As a result, when the network connection device 100 confirms that the power supply to the control circuit 110 has been cut off, it can switch from inline mode to failover mode by using the power supplied from the emergency power supply 160 to perform a connection switch. Here, the emergency power supply 160 may be realized through a supercapacitor, and this operating method may be similar to, but not limited to, the operating method for Power Loss Protection (PLP) of an SSD. Furthermore, the connection switch may be performed by the control circuit 110 immediately updating the reference value to be identical to the indicated value using the power obtained from the emergency power supply 160.

[0061] Having described the embodiment of handling faults through failover mode, we will now describe the embodiment of handling faults through failover mode. First, to explain the signal flow when a fault is handled in failover mode, we will refer to Figure 6.

[0062] Figure 6 shows a network connection device configured in failover mode according to one embodiment.

[0063] Referring to Figure 6, when the system switches to faildown mode, the latch switch 120 does not perform a coupling switching operation. Therefore, the second terminal of the latch switch 120 may still be connected to the security equipment 200, just as in the inline mode, but the coupling disconnection operation may prevent signal transmission between the security equipment 200 and the second terminal. Consequently, when the system switches to faildown mode, and the network connection device 100 confirms receipt of the first signal through the receiving unit 130, it can distribute the first signal to the latch switch 120 and the security equipment 200 through the distributor. At this time, the first signal may not be transmitted to the latch switch 120 because the second terminal is connected to the security equipment 200. On the other hand, the second signal, which is the result of the first signal being processed by the security equipment 200, can be controlled so as not to be transmitted to the latch switch 120 by the coupling disconnection operation described above. In short, the network connection device 100 can be controlled not to transmit either the first or second signal.

[0064] Here, such a disconnection operation can be performed by deactivating the transmission function of the transceiver located between the security device 200 and the second terminal. That is, even if the security device 200 generates a second signal despite the fault condition, since a fault has occurred, the signal may already be delayed or incorrect. Therefore, to avoid unnecessary transmission, the second signal may not be transmitted to the latch switch 120. Of course, methods other than deactivating the transceiver's transmission function can also be used to prevent the transmission of the second signal.

[0065] The above explanation assumes unidirectional traffic for the sake of clarity, but an example of a network connection device that can perform the same fault handling method in both directions will be explained below with reference to Figures 7 to 9.

[0066] Figure 7 shows an example in which network connection devices connected in both directions operate in inline mode according to one embodiment.

[0067] Referring to Figure 7, although it appears somewhat more complex than Figure 1, it can be confirmed that the structure described in Figure 1 exists in a mirror-image symmetrical configuration with respect to the security equipment 200 and MAC chip 150. The optical modules 171 and 172, which are combined with transceivers, can perform the function of digitizing the aforementioned signal in one direction from the receiver to the security equipment 200, and can perform the operation of connecting and disconnecting the latch switch and the security equipment in the failover mode described above in the direction from the security equipment 200 to the transmitter. In addition, the latch switch 120 can be connected in a 2-to-4 configuration, unlike when processing unidirectional traffic. For example, suppose the first terminal is connected to the transmitter 140 of the second port, and the second terminal is connected to the receiver 130 or security equipment 200 of the first port. In this case, there may be a third terminal that performs a similar role in the opposite direction to the first terminal and is connected to the transmitter of the first port, and a fourth terminal that performs a similar role in the opposite direction to the second terminal and is connected to the receiver or security equipment of the second port. In this configuration, the fourth terminal is connected to the security equipment 200 in inline mode, the fourth terminal is connected to the receiving unit of the second port in failover mode, and the fourth terminal is connected to the security equipment 200 in failover mode, but can be controlled so that no signal is received from the security equipment 200.

[0068] We will now explain the process by which such a network connection device 100 operates in inline mode in both directions.

[0069] First, when a signal is acquired by the receiving unit 130 of the first port, the signal can be transmitted by the distributor 181 to the upper end connector 122-1 and the upper optical module 171 relating to the second terminal of the latch switch. Here, the signal distributed to the upper end connector 122-1 relating to the second terminal is not transmitted because the second terminal of the latch switch 120 is connected to the lower end connector 122-2. The signal input to the upper optical module 171 is digitized as described above, verified by the MAC chip 150, and then transmitted to the security equipment 200. The signal processed by the security equipment 200 is transmitted again via the MAC chip 150 to the lower optical module 172, which then transmits it again to the lower end connector 122-2 relating to the second terminal of the latch switch 120, and the network connection device 100 can transmit the signal via the latch switch 120 through the transmitting unit 140 of the second port.

[0070] Regarding the operation in the opposite direction, when a signal is acquired by the receiving unit of the second port, the signal can be transmitted by the distributor 182 to the upper connecting unit 124-1 and the lower optical module 172 related to the fourth terminal of the latch switch. Here, although not shown in the drawing, the signal distributed to the upper connecting unit 124-1 related to the fourth terminal is not transmitted because the fourth terminal of the latch switch 120 is connected to the lower connecting unit 124-2. The signal input to the lower optical module 172 is digitized as described above, verified by the MAC chip 150, and then transmitted to the security equipment 200. The signal processed by the security equipment 200 is transmitted again to the upper optical module 171 via the MAC chip 150, and the upper optical module 171 transmits it again to the lower connecting unit 124-2 related to the fourth terminal of the latch switch 120, and the network connection device 100 can transmit the signal via the latch switch 120 through the transmitting unit of the first port.

[0071] Next, we will explain the process of handling failures in failover mode in both directions.

[0072] Figure 8 shows an example in which network connection devices connected in both directions operate in failover mode according to one embodiment.

[0073] Referring to Figure 8, which is similar to Figure 7, it can be confirmed that the second terminal of the latch switch 120 is connected to the upper end connection part 122-1 through the connection switching. Although omitted in the drawing, the fourth terminal is also connected to the upper end connection part 124-1. This allows operation in failover mode, but to explain in more detail, first, when a signal is acquired by the receiving unit 130 of the first port, the signal can be transmitted by the distributor 181 to the upper end connection part 122-1 and the upper end optical module 171 relating to the second terminal of the latch switch. Here, the signal distributed to the upper end connection part 122-1 relating to the second terminal is such that the second terminal of the latch switch 120 is connected to the upper end connection part 122-1 through the connection switching, and the network connection device 100 can transmit the signal via the latch switch 120 through the transmitting unit 140 of the second port. The signal input to the upper optical module 171 is digitized as described above, verified by the MAC chip 150, and can be transmitted to the safety equipment 200. The signal processed by the safety equipment 200 is transmitted again to the lower optical module 172 via the MAC chip 150, and the lower optical module 172 transmits it again to the lower end coupling portion 122-2 relating to the second terminal of the latch switch 120. However, since the second terminal of the latch switch 120 is connected to the upper end coupling portion 122-1, the signal is not transmitted.

[0074] Regarding the operation in the opposite direction, when a signal is acquired by the receiving unit of the second port, the signal can be transmitted by the distributor 182 to the upper connector 124-1 and the lower optical module 172 relating to the fourth terminal of the latch switch. Here, although not shown in the drawing, the signal distributed to the upper connector 124-1 relating to the fourth terminal is connected to the upper connector 124-1 of the latch switch 120 via a coupling switch, so the network connection device 100 can transmit the signal through the latch switch 120 and the transmitting unit of the first port. The signal input to the lower optical module 172 is digitized as described above, verified by the MAC chip 150, and then transmitted to the security equipment 200. The signal processed by the safety equipment 200 is transmitted again via the MAC chip 150 to the upper optical module 171, which then transmits it again to the lower end connector 124-2 related to the fourth terminal of the latch switch 120. However, since the fourth terminal of the latch switch 120 is connected to the upper end connector 124-1, the signal is not transmitted.

[0075] Finally, I will explain the process of handling failures in faildown mode in both directions.

[0076] Figure 9 shows an example in which a network connection device connected in both directions operates in faildown mode according to one embodiment.

[0077] First, when a signal is acquired by the receiving unit 130 of the first port, the signal can be transmitted by the distributor 181 to the upper end connector 122-1 and the upper optical module 171 related to the second terminal of the latch switch. However, the signal distributed to the upper end connector 122-1 related to the second terminal is not transmitted because the second terminal of the latch switch 120 is connected to the lower end connector 122-2. The signal input to the upper optical module 171 is digitized as described above, verified by the MAC chip 150, and then transmitted to the security equipment 200. The signal processed by the security equipment 200 is transmitted again to the lower optical module 172 via the MAC chip 150, but the signal is not transmitted to the latch switch 120 because the transmitting unit of the lower optical module 172 is deactivated due to the disconnection operation. Therefore, the network connection device 100 may not perform any transmission operation regarding the input signal.

[0078] Regarding the operation in the opposite direction, when a signal is acquired by the receiving unit of the second port, the signal can be transmitted by the distributor 182 to the upper end connector 124-1 and the lower end optical module 172 related to the fourth terminal of the latch switch. Here, although not shown in the drawing, the signal distributed to the upper end connector 124-1 related to the fourth terminal is not transmitted because the fourth terminal of the latch switch 120 is connected to the lower end connector 124-2. The signal input to the lower end optical module 172 is digitized as described above, verified by the MAC chip 150, and then transmitted to the security equipment 200. The signal processed by the security equipment 200 is transmitted again to the upper end optical module 171 via the MAC chip 150, but although not shown in the drawing, the signal is not transmitted to the latch switch 120 because the transmitting unit of the upper end optical module 171 is deactivated by the disconnection operation. Therefore, the network connection device 100 may not perform a transmission operation regarding the input signal.

[0079] The embodiments described above are merely examples, and other embodiments may be embodied within the scope of the claims described later.

Claims

1. In a fault handling method for network connection devices, Setting the inline mode, the second terminal of the latch switch, whose first terminal is connected to the transmitter, is connected to the safety equipment connected to the receiver. When a fault is detected, the system switches to one of the following modes based on the fault handling settings: a failover mode related to switching the connection of the second terminal to the receiving unit, and a faildown mode related to disconnecting the connection between the second terminal and the safety equipment. Includes, When the system switches to the failover mode, and the reception of the first signal through the receiving unit is confirmed, the first signal is distributed to the latch switch and the safety equipment via the distributor. The second signal, which is the result of the first signal being processed by the safety equipment, is not transmitted to the latch switch by the coupling switch, and the first signal is transmitted through the latch switch and the transmitting unit. A fault handling method characterized by further including the following:

2. If the fault handling setting corresponds to the failover mode, the system determines whether or not to switch to the failover mode based on reference information regarding whether or not a command to maintain the inline mode is received by the safety equipment within the previously set critical time. The fault handling method according to feature 1.

3. The reference information includes a reference value, which asymptotically approaches an instruction value corresponding to the failover mode from an initial value over time, but is initialized to the initial value each time the maintain command for the inline mode is received, and when the critical time has elapsed and the reference value corresponds to the instruction value, the inline mode is switched to the failover mode. The fault handling method according to feature 2.

4. A method for handling faults in a network connection device, Setting the inline mode, the second terminal of the latch switch, whose first terminal is connected to the transmitter, is connected to the safety equipment connected to the receiver. When a fault is detected, the system switches to one of the following modes based on the fault handling settings: a failover mode related to switching the connection of the second terminal to the receiving unit, and a faildown mode related to disconnecting the connection between the second terminal and the safety equipment. Includes, When it is confirmed that the power supply has been interrupted, the inline mode is switched to the failover mode by using the power supplied from the emergency power supply to perform the connection switching. A fault handling method characterized by the following.

5. A method for handling faults in a network connection device, Setting the inline mode, the second terminal of the latch switch, whose first terminal is connected to the transmitter, is connected to the safety equipment connected to the receiver. When a fault is detected, the system switches to one of the following modes based on the fault handling settings: a failover mode related to switching the connection of the second terminal to the receiving unit, and a faildown mode related to disconnecting the connection between the second terminal and the safety equipment. Includes, When the system switches to the aforementioned faildown mode, and the reception of the first signal through the receiving unit is confirmed, the first signal is distributed to the latch switch and the safety equipment via the distributor. The first signal is prevented from being transmitted to the latch switch by the connection of the second terminal to the safety equipment, and the second signal, which is the result of the first signal being processed by the safety equipment, is prevented from being transmitted to the latch switch by the disconnection of the connection, thereby controlling the transmission of neither the first nor the second signal. A fault handling method characterized by further including the following:

6. A method for handling faults in a network connection device, Setting the inline mode, the second terminal of the latch switch, whose first terminal is connected to the transmitter, is connected to the safety equipment connected to the receiver. When a fault is detected, the system switches to one of the following modes based on the fault handling settings: a failover mode related to switching the connection of the second terminal to the receiving unit, and a faildown mode related to disconnecting the connection between the second terminal and the safety equipment. Includes, When the system switches to the aforementioned faildown mode, the connection is disconnected by deactivating the transmission function of the transceiver located between the safety equipment and the second terminal. A fault handling method characterized by the following.

7. A method for handling faults in a network connection device, Setting the inline mode, the second terminal of the latch switch, whose first terminal is connected to the transmitter, is connected to the safety equipment connected to the receiver. When a fault is detected, the system switches to one of the following modes based on the fault handling settings: a failover mode related to switching the connection of the second terminal to the receiving unit, and a faildown mode related to disconnecting the connection between the second terminal and the safety equipment. Includes, When the inline mode is set, and the reception of the first signal through the receiving unit is confirmed, the first signal is distributed to the latch switch and the safety equipment via the distributor, The first signal is not transmitted to the latch switch by the connection of the second terminal to the safety equipment, and the second signal, which is the result of the first signal being processed by the safety equipment, is transmitted through the latch switch and the transmitting unit. A fault handling method characterized by the following.

8. The first terminal of the latch switch is connected to the transmitting unit, and the second terminal is controlled to be selectively connected to the security equipment connected to the receiving unit or to one of the receiving units, by selecting at least one of the inline mode, the failover mode, and the failover mode. The fault handling method according to feature 1.

9. A network connection device with fault handling capabilities, A latch switch whose first terminal is connected to the transmitting unit and whose second terminal is selectively connected to one of the receiving unit and a safety device connected to the receiving unit, A control circuit that connects the second terminal to the safety equipment in inline mode, connects the second terminal to the receiving unit in failover mode, and disconnects the connection between the second terminal and the safety equipment in faildown mode, Includes, The second terminal and the safety equipment further include a transceiver whose transmission function is deactivated by the control circuit in the faildown mode, A network connection device characterized by the following features.

10. The device further includes a distributor that distributes the signal input through the receiving unit to the latch switch and the safety equipment. The network connection device according to feature 9.

11. A network connection device having a fault handling function, A latch switch whose first terminal is connected to the transmitting unit and whose second terminal is selectively connected to one of the receiving unit and a safety device connected to the receiving unit, A control circuit that connects the second terminal to the safety equipment in inline mode, connects the second terminal to the receiving unit in failover mode, and disconnects the connection between the second terminal and the safety equipment in faildown mode, Includes, The system further includes an optical module for digitizing signals distributed to the aforementioned safety equipment, and a MAC chip for inputting the signals digitized by the optical module into the safety equipment after inspecting the communication standards of those signals. A network connection device characterized by the following features.

12. The control circuit and the emergency power supply for the latch switch further include The network connection device according to feature 9.

13. A network connection device having a fault handling function, A latch switch whose first terminal is connected to the transmitting unit and whose second terminal is selectively connected to one of the receiving unit and a safety device connected to the receiving unit, A control circuit that connects the second terminal to the safety equipment in inline mode, connects the second terminal to the receiving unit in failover mode, and disconnects the connection between the second terminal and the safety equipment in faildown mode, Includes, The first terminal of the latch switch is connected to the transmitting unit of the second port, and the second terminal is connected to the receiving unit or the safety equipment of the first port. The third terminal of the latch switch is connected to the transmitting unit of the first port, and the fourth terminal is connected to the receiving unit of the second port or the safety equipment. The control circuit connects the fourth terminal to the security equipment in the inline mode, connects the fourth terminal to the receiving unit of the second port in the failover mode, and disconnects the connection between the fourth terminal and the security equipment in the failover mode. A network connection device characterized by the following features.

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