Network Manager Quarantine Mode for Interconnect Path Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
In a local rack interconnect system, there is a need for an effective method to track and manage multiple valid data paths between source and destination devices, especially when one node goes down, to prevent traffic from being sent across non-working nodes and ensure efficient rerouting.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a network manager quarantine mode where end-to-end heartbeats are sent on each path, maintaining a heartbeat table with counters to track valid paths, and establishing a quarantine mode that prevents advertising of good heartbeats for a programmable time interval, forcing all path updates to zero until the interval expires, and then validating paths to resume operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple path tracking is implemented to enable efficient rerouting, then the system reliability improves, but the device complexity increases due to the need to maintain heartbeat tables and track multiple valid paths
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments path tracking into individual heartbeat entries within a table structure, where each path is independently monitored through separate heartbeat mechanisms. This allows the complex task of multi-path tracking to be divided into manageable units, improving reliability while keeping each tracking unit relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback through heartbeat signals that continuously monitor path status. Network managers send heartbeat packets along each path and receive responses to determine path validity. This feedback mechanism enables automatic detection of failures and triggers quarantine mode when paths become non-functional, maintaining system reliability through continuous monitoring and response.
2Reliability
If quarantine mode is implemented to prevent traffic on non-working nodes, then the system reliability improves, but the loss of time increases due to the programmable quarantine time interval required to validate paths before resuming operation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary validation of paths before allowing traffic to resume. When a node fails, the quarantine mode is activated and paths are marked as non-functional before any traffic redirection occurs. This preliminary action ensures that only validated paths are used, preventing traffic on broken paths while the quarantine timer manages the time loss through controlled validation intervals.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the state parameter of paths from valid to invalid when failures are detected, and maintains this changed state during the quarantine time interval. The programmable quarantine time parameter allows flexible control over how long paths remain quarantined, balancing reliability requirements with time loss minimization by adjusting the validation duration as needed.
3Measurement precision
If path validation is performed continuously to maintain accurate routing information, then the measurement precision of path status improves, but the use of energy increases due to continuous heartbeat transmission and processing
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs path validation through periodic heartbeat transmissions rather than continuous monitoring. Network managers send heartbeat packets at regular intervals to check path status, maintaining measurement precision through consistent periodic sampling. This periodic action reduces energy consumption compared to continuous monitoring while still providing accurate and timely path status information for routing decisions.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and circuit for implementing a network manager quarantine mode in an interconnect system, and a design structure on which the subject circuit resides are provided. A respective network manager on a source interconnect chip and a destination interconnect chip sends end-to-end (ETE) heartbeats on each path between the source and destination interconnect chips. Each network manager maintains a heartbeat table with counters to track each path to each destination interconnect chip. When a first network manager of a first interconnect chip detects a change from at least one valid path to no working paths for a second interconnect chip of the interconnect chips, the quarantine mode is established for a programmable quarantine time interval and all paths are prevented from advertising good heartbeats during the quarantine time interval.