Network Testing Control Data Plane Convergence
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current network communication device testing systems face challenges in effectively evaluating the convergence of control and data plane traffic during critical events, such as node failures, which affects the performance and conformance of network devices and protocols.
Innovation Solution
A network testing system that includes network cards and a backplane, capable of supporting various protocols, captures and analyzes network traffic to simulate critical events, measuring convergence times and performance metrics by transitioning data plane traffic between receive ports in response to control plane events, using a graphical user interface to display real-time statistics and store relevant packet information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If network devices are tested using traditional separate control plane and data plane testing methods, then the testing process is simpler, but the evaluation of convergence during critical events is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges control plane testing and data plane testing into a unified testing system that can simultaneously evaluate both planes and their convergence behavior. The system combines control plane traffic generation, data plane traffic generation, and convergence measurement capabilities into an integrated architecture, allowing comprehensive evaluation of network device performance during critical events without requiring separate independent testing processes.
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive network traffic capture and analysis is performed during control and data plane convergence, then convergence time measurement accuracy is improved, but system resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary configuration and setup of measurement parameters, traffic patterns, and evaluation criteria before actual convergence events occur. By pre-configuring the testing environment, defining measurement thresholds, and establishing baseline performance metrics, the system reduces the computational and resource burden during actual convergence measurement, as the framework is already in place to efficiently capture and analyze the relevant data.
3Loss of information
If real-time statistics and packet information are displayed and stored during network testing, then testing information completeness is improved, but data processing overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and stores only the most critical and relevant testing information, such as convergence time metrics, key performance indicators, and essential packet data, while filtering out redundant or less important information. By selectively capturing and storing only the necessary data elements required for convergence evaluation, the system maintains comprehensive testing information without the overhead of processing and storing all possible network traffic data.
Data Source
AI summary
There is disclosed a system and method for implementing a control plane/data plane test to evaluate the performance of a device under test upon the occurrence of a critical event. The method may be performed by a network testing system.