Equipe Communications Corporation

Ciena Corporation

Joseph D Kidder

Daniel J Sullivan, Jr

Nicholas A Langrind

Barbara A Fox

Brian Branscomb

Corey Simons

Chris R Noel

Terrence S Pearson

Jonathan D Madsen

Peter Pothier

Douglas B Stefanelli

Umesh Bhatt

Michael B Mahler

Richard L Whitesel

Edward L Perreault

Margaret Stearns

Daniel A Reynolds

Jim Hurley

A common command interface (CCI) provides an interface abstraction allowing network device applications to maintain one set of code for each command regardless of which command interface (e.g., web, CLI, NMS, etc.) initiates the command. That is, the command code in each application may be shared across multiple command interfaces. The interface abstraction allows new applications including additional commands to be added to a network device and existing applications to be dynamically upgraded to include new and/or modified commands without having to modify the CCI. Thus, the network device may provide the increased flexibility of having multiple command interfaces while minimizing the complexity required to maintain commands across those interfaces. In addition, a community command interface may be used to connect the common command interfaces of multiple network devices.

Common command interface

Methods are disclosed for establishing a path for data transmissions in a system having a plurality of possible paths by creating a configuration database and establishing internal connection paths based upon a configuration policy and the configuration database. The configuration policy can be based on available system resources and needs at a given time. In one embodiment, one or more tables are initiated in the configuration database to provide connection information to the system. For example, a path table and a service endpoint table can be employed to establishing a partial record in the configuration database whenever a user connects to a particular port on a universal port card in the system. The method can further include periodically polling records in the path table and transmitting data from the partial records to a policy provisioning manager (PPM). The PPM then implements a connection policy by comparing one or more of the new path characteristics, to the available forwarding card resources in the quadrant containing the universal port card port and path. The path characteristics can include the protocol, the desired number of time slots, the desired number of virtual circuits, and any virtual circuit scheduling restrictions. The PPM can also take other factors into consideration, including quality of service, for example, redundancy requirements or dedicated resource requirements, and balancing resource usage (i.e., load balancing) evenly within a quadrant.

Policy based provisioning of network device resources

The present invention provides an upper layer network device with one or more physical layer data test ports. The data supplied to the test ports reflects the data received by the network device with minimal modification and no upper layer translation or processing, and supplying the data to the test ports does not impact or disrupt the service provided by the network device. Only a small portion of the network device need be operable to send data to the test ports. In addition, the test ports are programmable while the network device is operating and without impacting its operation. Moreover, because the test ports are programmable&#x2014;that is, they are not dedicated&#x2014;they may be re-programmed for normal device operation.

Upper layer network device including a physical layer test port

Computer systems and methods of data processing are disclosed in which fault/event management is carried out in accordance with a configurable fault recovery policy. In addition, computer systems and methods of data processing are disclosed in which hierarchical levels of fault management (or more generally 'event' management) are provided in accordance with the configurable fault policy.

Configurable fault recovery policy for a computer system

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for facilitating hot upgrades of software components within a telecommunications network device through the use of 'signatures' generated by a signature generating program. After installation of a new software release within the network device, only those software components whose signatures do not match the signatures of corresponding and currently executing software components are upgraded. Signatures promote hot upgrades by identifying only those software components that need to be upgraded. Since signatures are automatically generated for each software component as part of putting together a new release a quick comparison of two signatures provides an accurate assurance that either the software component has changed or has not. Thus, signatures provide a quick, easy way to accurately determine the upgrade status of each software component.

Signatures for facilitating hot upgrades of modular software components

The present invention provides a computer system having a control process and a device driver process that is in communication with the control process, and a local back-up process, independent of both the control process and the device driver process. The local back-up process facilitates recovery of the device driver process. In one aspect of the invention, the computer system is a network device that includes a control plane and a data plan. The control plane includes a control process, and the data plane includes a device driver process. A local back-up process, independent of both the control process and the device driver process, facilitates recovery of the device driver process if the device driver process is terminated.

Maintaining a local backup for data plane processes

Computer systems and methods of data processing are disclosed in which hierarchical levels of fault/event management are provided that intelligently monitor hardware and software and proactively take action in accordance with a defined fault policy. A fault policy based on a defined hierarchy ensures that for each particular type of failure the most appropriate action is taken. In one embodiment, a master Software Resiliency Manager (SRM) serves as the top hierarchical level fault/event manager, with one or more slave SRMs serving as the next hierarchical level fault/event manager. The software applications resident on each board can also include sub-processes (e.g., local resiliency managers or LRMs) that serve as the lowest hierarchical level fault/event managers.

Hierarchical fault management in computer systems

Computer systems and methods of data processing are disclosed in which hierarchical descriptors define levels of fault/event management to intelligently monitor hardware and software and proactively take action in accordance with a defined fault policy. A fault policy based on a defined hierarchy ensures that for each particular type of failure the most appropriate action is taken. Hierarchical descriptors can be used to provide information specific to each failure or event. The hierarchical descriptors provide granularity with which to report faults, take action based on fault history and apply fault recovery policies. The descriptors can be stored in a master event log file or local event log files through which faults and events may be tracked and displayed to the user and allow for fault detection at a fine granular level and proactive response to events. In addition, the descriptors can be matched with descriptors in a fault policy to determine the recovery action to be taken.

Hierarchical fault descriptors in computer systems

A distributed software redundancy design is disclosed to minimize network outages and other problems associated with component/process failures by spreading software backup (in the so-called &ldquo;hot state&rdquo;) across multiple elements. The distributed redundancy architecture of the present invention also permits the location of the hardware backup element to float, that is, if a primary element fails, the functions can be transferred over to the backup element. When the failed primary element is replaced, the replacement hardware can serve as the hardware backup. If one or more of the primary processes on a particular element experiences a software fault, the processor on the line card may terminate and restart the failing process or processes. Once the process or processes are restarted, a copy of the last known dynamic state (i.e., the backup state) can be retrieved a from corresponding backup processes executing on a second line card and initiate an audit process to synchronize retrieved state with the dynamic state of associated other processes.

Distributed process redundancy

The invention provides a method for fault isolation in a computer system, such as a network device. The method calls for providing a plurality of modular processes, and forming groups, based on hardware in the computer system, of one or more of the plurality of modular processes. A fault within a group is detected, and recovery from the detected fault is accomplished without affecting processes or hardware in other groups.

Vertical fault isolation in a computer system

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for supporting multiple redundancy schemes in a single network device. In one network device, various redundancy schemes are supported including 1:1, 1&plus;1, 1:N, no redundancy or a combination of redundancy schemes. In addition, the redundancy scheme or schemes for physical network device cards (i.e., universal port cards) or ports may be different from the redundancy scheme or schemes for forwarding network device cards. For example, a network manager may want to provide 1:1 or 1&plus;1 redundancy for all universal port cards and/or ports but only 1:N redundancy for each N group of forwarding cards. As another example, the network manager may provide certain customers with 1:1 redundancy on both universal port cards (or ports) and forwarding cards to ensure that customer's network availability while providing other customers, with lower availability requirements, with various other redundancy scheme combinations, for example, 1:1, 1&plus;1, 1:N or no redundancy for port cards or ports and 1:N or no redundancy for forwarding cards. The present invention allows customers having different availability/redundancy needs to be serviced by same network device.

Growing community of inventors

Arlington, MA, United States of America

Joseph D Kidder