Network Relay Device Band Limiting Fault Tolerance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Chassis-type switching devices face reliability issues due to the risk of losing communication band limiting functions if a fault occurs in one of the band limiting units, compromising overall network reliability.
Innovation Solution
A network relay device with multiple line cards, each equipped with a band limiting unit and internal communicability monitoring unit, which determines transmission destinations based on monitoring results to ensure fault tolerance by distributing communication band limiting functions across redundant meter units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If band limiting units are centralized in a single line card, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to single point of failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the band limiting function into separate units distributed across multiple line cards. Each line card has its own band limiting unit, eliminating the single point of failure and improving fault tolerance. This segmentation allows the system to continue operating even if one line card fails.
Solution Approach 2:
Each line card is equipped with its own band limiting unit, giving local autonomy to each module. This local quality ensures that failures in one line card do not affect the band limiting function in other line cards, thereby improving overall system reliability without requiring complex centralized control.
2Reliability
If multiple line cards with band limiting units are used, then reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each line card in the patent is designed with universal functionality, including both switching functions and band limiting functions. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve high reliability through redundancy while managing complexity, as each line card can independently perform its function without requiring specialized dedicated components.
3Adaptability or versatility
If communication band is limited for relay between groups, then network management capability improves, but loss of information increases due to potential faults in band limiting units
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements redundant band limiting units across multiple line cards as a form of beforehand cushioning. This redundancy ensures that if one band limiting unit fails, the communication band limiting function is preserved through other line cards, preventing loss of information while maintaining network management capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
When a first line card receives a frame at a port, the line card refers to monitoring results by internal communicability monitoring units of other second to fourth line cards and a monitoring result by an internal communicability monitoring unit of its own, determines a first of a transmission destination from band limiting units of other line cards based on the monitoring results, and transmits the frame. The second line card limits the communication band of the frame by the first band limiting unit of its own, and transmits the frame to a predetermined port. If any fault is detected in the communicability in the internal communicability monitoring table to/from the second line card as the communication counterpart, and, if the communicability to/from the third line card as the communication counterpart is normal, the first line card changes the transmission destination into the second band limiting unit.