MEP Mismatch Fault Detection in PBB-TE Segment Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current segment protection technologies in PBB-TE do not effectively detect mismatch faults, leading to data loss and service interruptions due to incomplete switching and configuration errors between working and protection segments.
Innovation Solution
A method involving Maintenance Endpoints (MEPs) that set and compare a PTS variable within Connectivity Check Messages (CCMs) to detect mismatches, using RDI flags to indicate faults and setting mismatch indication variables to confirm errors after a preset time, ensuring accurate detection and reporting of mismatch faults.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If segment protection switching is implemented in PBB-TE, then network reliability is improved, but mismatch faults between working and protection segments cannot be detected, leading to data loss and service interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the MEP sends CCM messages containing PTS information to the remote MEP, and the remote MEP compares the received PTS with its local PTS configuration. This feedback loop enables automatic detection of mismatch faults between working and protection segments, preventing data loss while maintaining segment protection switching for network reliability.
2Reliability
If segment protection switching is implemented in PBB-TE, then service continuity is improved during faults, but mismatch faults cause service interruptions due to incomplete switching detection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes a feedback mechanism where CCM messages carry PTS information from the local MEP to the remote MEP. The remote MEP compares the received PTS with its local configuration and detects mismatches that would cause incomplete switching. This feedback enables timely detection and reporting of mismatch faults, preventing service interruptions while maintaining service continuity during actual faults.
3Measurement precision
If CCM messages are enhanced with PTS information, then mismatch fault detection precision is improved, but message complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reuses the existing CCM message structure from IEEE 802.1Qau, which is already widely deployed for connectivity verification in PBB-TE. By adding PTS information to this existing universal message format, the patent achieves mismatch fault detection precision without creating entirely new message types, thereby minimizing processing complexity and leveraging existing protocol infrastructure.
Data Source
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AI summary
The disclosure provides a method for detecting a mismatch fault and a Maintenance Endpoint (MEP). The method includes: determining whether there is a Traffic Engineering Service Instance (TESI) configured in a segment, setting a Present Traffic in Segment (PTS) variable, and setting a value of a PTS field included in a Connectivity Check Message (CCM) sent from a Maintenance Endpoint (MEP); receiving the CCM by the MEP, when the value of the PTS field included in the CCM does not coincide with that of the PTS variable, setting, by the MEP, a first mismatch fault indication variable mmCCMreceived to be set; when the first mismatch fault indication variable mmCCMreceived remains set after a first preset time period expires, detecting that a mismatch fault occurs. The method finds timely the mismatch problem occurred in the segment protection of Provider Backbone Bridging-Traffic Engineering (PBB-TE), thereby preventing data loss and service interruption caused by the occurrence of mismatch.