Packet Relay Device Fault Detection via Monitoring Packet Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current packet relay devices face challenges in detecting and specifying faults in their software and hardware modules, leading to difficulties in maintaining network adjacency and restoring functionality when packet transmission or reception fails, especially due to undetected issues in multi-functional software and hardware configurations.
Innovation Solution
A fault detection system that uses monitoring packets to record pass information for each software and hardware module, allowing for autonomous detection and specification of faults by comparing transmission and reception statistics, enabling the packet relay device to identify and display or output fault information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the number of software modules and hardware devices is increased to realize multi-functionality and high functionality, then the capability and versatility of the packet relay device is improved, but the complexity of the system increases and makes fault detection and specification more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the packet relay functionality into distinct software modules (packet transmitting function, packet receiving function, packet transfer function) and hardware devices, each with dedicated monitoring. This segmentation allows independent fault detection in each component while maintaining overall system complexity management.
Solution Approach 2:
A monitoring packet mechanism is introduced as an intermediary to detect faults. The monitoring packet traverses through each software module and hardware device, and pass information is recorded at each stage. This intermediary approach enables fault specification without directly increasing system complexity.
2Ease of manufacture
If general-purpose hardware devices are used to reduce cost, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but autonomous fault detection capability is weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by recording pass information of monitoring packets at each hardware device and software module before faults occur. This proactive recording enables autonomous fault detection and specification when anomalies are detected, maintaining reliability while using cost-effective general-purpose hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
A feedback mechanism is established where pass information from monitoring packets is continuously recorded and compared. When transmission and reception statistics do not match, the system automatically specifies the fault location, enabling autonomous fault detection without requiring specialized expensive hardware.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the number of passing modules is increased to provide packet transmitting and receiving functions for each network function, then the functionality is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring faults increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each network function is segmented into separate software modules (packet transmitting, packet receiving, packet transfer), and each module has dedicated monitoring. This segmentation reduces fault detection difficulty by isolating monitoring to specific modules rather than monitoring the entire system as a whole.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a copy of the packet flow by introducing monitoring packets that traverse the same path as data packets. This copying approach allows fault detection without interfering with normal operations and simplifies the measurement process by using dedicated monitoring traffic.
4Measurement precision
If monitoring is performed at each software module and hardware device, then fault specification accuracy is improved, but the device complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
A universal monitoring packet structure is designed that can be applied to all software modules and hardware devices regardless of their specific functions. This multi-functional monitoring approach achieves high fault specification accuracy without requiring complex module-specific monitoring mechanisms, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A fault that cannot be autonomously detected by all or a specific software module and all or a specific hardware device which realize the packet transmitting/receiving function is detected, and also a fault part is specified. A packet relay device realizes the packet transmitting and receiving functions through plural software modules and plural hardware devices. The packet relay device includes a memory space 105, reception statistics 131, 133, 135, and transmission statistics 132, 134, 136, and collects pass information of fault monitoring packets in all or the specific software module and all of the hardware devices whose operation is to be confirmed by the fault monitoring packets for detecting the faults within the device. A fault part specifying unit 118 is provided for specifying the fault part according to the pass information of the fault monitoring packet when abnormality is detected.