Node Isolation Detection in Subtended Ethernet Rings
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional approaches fail to effectively detect node isolation in subtended Ethernet ring topologies due to multiple link faults, leading to cumbersome identification of node outages and prolonged network downtime.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a network element with a plurality of ports in a first ring and at least one port in a second ring that operates Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) sessions in both directions around the second ring, correlating faults and node isolation using Continuity Check Messages (CCMs) and Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) messages, and employing a communication protocol for event notifications to identify isolated nodes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional link down event detection is used in subtended Ethernet rings, then individual link failures are detected, but multiple simultaneous faults causing node isolation cannot be correlated or detected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the ring topology into multiple directional paths by establishing separate OAM sessions for clockwise and counter-clockwise directions. This segmentation allows independent monitoring of each path, enabling precise detection of which specific links or nodes have failed while simplifying the correlation of multiple faults through directional analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces OAM (Operations, Administration, and Maintenance) sessions as intermediary mechanisms between network nodes. These OAM sessions act as mediators that continuously monitor link status and provide structured fault information, enabling automated correlation of multiple failures without requiring complex manual analysis of raw link down events.
2Loss of time
If multiple OAM sessions are operated in both directions around the second ring, then node isolation can be quickly detected and correlated, but system complexity and number of OAM sessions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes OAM sessions in advance in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions around the ring before any faults occur. This preliminary action ensures that monitoring infrastructure is already in place, enabling immediate detection and correlation of node isolation events without requiring additional setup or analysis time when failures occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements bidirectional OAM sessions that provide continuous feedback about link status in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions. This feedback mechanism allows the system to quickly detect when nodes become isolated by comparing the status of OAM sessions in opposite directions, reducing detection time while maintaining manageable complexity through systematic monitoring.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for node isolation detection include, in one or more hub nodes in an Ethernet network having a first ring and a second ring that subtends off the one or more hub nodes on the first ring, operating a first plurality of Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) sessions with each node in the second ring in a first direction around the second ring; operating a second plurality of OAM sessions with each node in the second ring in a second direction around the second ring; and correlating and detecting faults and node isolation in the second ring based on the first plurality of OAM sessions and the second plurality of OAM sessions.