Packet Replication for High-Rate Link Diagnostic Traffic
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Solution Overview
Problem
Packet forwarding devices often fail to generate traffic at high speeds required for link diagnostic testing, necessitating a solution to achieve high data rates.
Innovation Solution
A packet forwarding device offloads traffic generation to a packet replication device, such as a multicast engine, which replicates the traffic to meet the required data rate, using an ASIC for support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a packet forwarding device generates traffic for link diagnostic testing, then the test can be initiated and performed, but the traffic rate falls below the threshold required for high-speed testing
Solution Approach 1:
The packet replication device creates multiple copies of the original traffic packets generated by the packet forwarding device. By replicating packets and multiplying their quantity, the system achieves the required high traffic rate for link diagnostic testing without requiring the packet forwarding device itself to generate traffic at line rate speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The packet replication device acts as an intermediary component between the packet forwarding device and the link diagnostic test. It receives low-rate traffic from the packet forwarding device, replicates it to achieve high data rates, and transmits the replicated traffic over the link being tested, thereby enabling the test without requiring the forwarding device to support high-speed traffic generation.
2Productivity
If traffic is replicated to achieve high data rates, then the traffic threshold is met, but additional devices and complexity are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The packet replication device serves as a specialized intermediary component that handles the complex task of traffic replication. This allows the packet forwarding device to remain simple in its traffic generation function while the replication complexity is isolated to a dedicated device, making the overall system architecture more manageable and modular.
Data Source
AI summary
A disclosed computing device capable of achieving high data rates in link diagnostic testing by replicating traffic may include (1) a packet forwarding device configured to generate, as part of a link diagnostic test, traffic that falls below a certain threshold by a deficit and (2) a packet replication device configured to (A) receive at least a portion of the traffic from the packet forwarding device and (B) replicate the portion of traffic to generate supplemental traffic that compensates for the deficit, and (3) an interface configured to transmit the traffic and the supplemental traffic to a remote device via a link as part of the link diagnostic test. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.