Full-Mesh Network Health Query via Consolidated Echo Responses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Troubleshooting full-mesh computer networks is cumbersome and inefficient, requiring administrators to individually log in to each node to diagnose the integrity of virtual circuits, especially when nodes are added or removed dynamically.
Innovation Solution
An originating node in a full-mesh network sends echo requests to other nodes, receiving consolidated responses that indicate connectivity status, allowing administrators to determine the health of the entire network from a single node, even with dynamic changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If administrators individually log in to each node to query virtual circuit health, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but operation complexity and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the full-mesh network into individual pseudowire connections, allowing health queries to be directed at specific virtual circuits rather than requiring comprehensive manual checking of all nodes. This segmentation enables focused diagnostics while simplifying the overall troubleshooting process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary health query mechanism that automatically routes diagnostic requests through the control plane to appropriate nodes. This intermediary system eliminates the need for administrators to manually log in to each node, reducing operation complexity while maintaining diagnostic accuracy through automated path verification.
2Measurement precision
If administrators individually query each virtual circuit, then connectivity status is accurately determined, but time consumption increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary health query mechanisms that proactively check pseudowire status before failures occur. By performing preliminary diagnostics and maintaining continuous health monitoring, the system can quickly identify issues without requiring time-consuming manual investigation when problems arise.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes continuous health monitoring of pseudowires through automated health query messages exchanged between nodes. This continuous action provides real-time connectivity status without requiring periodic manual intervention, significantly reducing time consumption while maintaining accurate connectivity determination.
3Adaptability or versatility
If nodes are added dynamically to the full-mesh, then network adaptability is improved, but troubleshooting complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic health query mechanisms that automatically adapt to network topology changes. When nodes are added or removed from the full-mesh, the system dynamically updates its understanding of the network structure and adjusts health monitoring accordingly, maintaining simplicity despite increased adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs feedback mechanisms where health query results are automatically reported back to the control plane, which then updates network topology information. This feedback loop allows the system to automatically track dynamic node additions and removals, preventing troubleshooting complexity from increasing as network adaptability improves.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, an originating node in a full-mesh computer network receives a trigger to determine integrity of the full-mesh network's data-paths. The originating node determines an ordered list of nodes in the full-mesh computer network. The originating node then sends echo requests to each non-originating node of the ordered list. The originating node may later receive consolidated echo responses from at least some non-originating nodes to which an echo request was sent. Each consolidated echo response indicates a response from the respective non-originating node, and any responses to subsequent echo requests sent by that particular non-originating node to subsequent nodes. The originating node may then use these responses to determine a connectivity status of the full-mesh computer network.