Method and system for originating connectivity fault management (CFM) frames on non-CFM aware switches
View Patent ↗A system for originating connectivity fault management (CFM) frames on non-CFM aware switches is disclosed. In the disclosed system, an OAM (Operations Administration and Management) proxy networking device connected to a core Ethernet network operates with one or more CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) devices to which it is communicably connected to support CFM out to the CPE devices without requiring that the CPE devices themselves implement CFM functionality. The OAM proxy networking device generates Connectivity Check (CC) frames, Loopback reply frames, and Linktrace reply frames for MEPs (Maintenance End Points) or MIPs (Maintenance Intermediate Points) contained in communication ports on the CPEs. These CFM frames generated by the OAM proxy networking device are then sent within messages from the OAM proxy networking device to the appropriate CPE. When the CPE device receives a message from the OAM proxy networking device containing one of these CFM frames, it checks the operability of a communication port indicated by the message. If the port is operable, the CPE device extracts the CFM frame from the message and originates it through the OAM proxy networking device into the core Ethernet network. The OAM proxy networking device further operates to process Connectivity Check frames received from the core Ethernet network and addressed to the CPE devices by maintaining an MEP connectivity database. As a result, these received Connectivity Check frames are dropped without forwarding to the CPE devices.
1. A method for providing connectivity fault management, comprising:
detecting, by a management proxy networking device having at least one processor, a connectivity fault management trigger event for a maintenance point associated with a communication port on a customer premises equipment device connected to said management proxy networking device;
generating, by said management proxy networking device, responsive to said connectivity fault management trigger event, a connectivity fault management frame;
transmitting, to said customer premises equipment device from said management proxy networking device, a message containing said connectivity fault management frame generated by said management proxy networking device, said message also indicating said communication port;
determining, by said customer premises equipment device responsive to receipt of said message from said management proxy networking device and said indication of said communication port in said message, whether said communication port is operable; and
originating, by said customer premises equipment device responsive to receipt of said message from said management proxy networking device and a determination that said communication port is operable, said connectivity fault management frame from said customer premises equipment device, wherein said originating includes extracting said connectivity fault management frame from said message received from said management proxy networking device and transmitting said connectivity fault management frame from said customer premises equipment through said management proxy networking device into a core network connected to said management proxy networking device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said connectivity fault management trigger event comprises an expiration of a timer associated with said maintenance point, wherein said timer is located on said management proxy networking device, and wherein said connectivity fault management frame comprises a connectivity check frame.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
receiving a connectivity check frame for said maintenance point at said management proxy networking device; and
updating, responsive to said connectivity check frame, a maintenance end point connectivity database to indicate the reachability of a maintenance end point that originated said connectivity check frame.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said connectivity fault management trigger event comprises receipt of a loopback request frame for said maintenance point by said management proxy networking device, and wherein said connectivity fault management frame comprises a loopback reply frame.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said connectivity fault management trigger event comprises receipt of a Linktrace request frame for said maintenance point by said management proxy networking device, and wherein said connectivity fault management frame comprises a Linktrace reply frame.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said maintenance point comprises a maintenance end point.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said maintenance point comprises a maintenance intermediate point.
8. A system for providing connectivity fault management, comprising:
a management proxy networking device including at least one processor, configured to detect a connectivity fault management trigger event for a maintenance point associated with a communication port on a customer premises equipment device connected to said management proxy networking device;
said management proxy networking device further configured to generate, responsive to said connectivity fault management trigger event, a connectivity fault management frame;
said management proxy networking device further configured to transmit a message to said customer premises equipment device from said management proxy networking device, said message containing said connectivity fault management frame generated by said management proxy networking device, said message also indicating said communication port;
said customer premises equipment device configured to determine, responsive to receipt of said message from said management proxy networking device and said indication of said communication port in said message, whether said communication port is operable; and
said customer premises equipment device further configured to originate, responsive to receipt of said message from said management proxy networking device and a determination that said communication port is operable, said connectivity fault management frame from said customer premises equipment device, at least in part by extracting said connectivity fault management frame from said message received from said management proxy networking device and transmitting said connectivity fault management frame from said customer premises equipment through said management proxy networking device into a core network connected to said management proxy networking device.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein said connectivity fault management trigger event comprises an expiration of a timer associated with said maintenance point, wherein said timer is located on said management proxy networking device, and wherein said connectivity fault management frame comprises a connectivity check frame.
10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
said management proxy networking device further configured to receive a connectivity check frame for said maintenance point at said management proxy networking device; and
said management proxy networking device further configured to update, responsive to said connectivity check frame, a maintenance end point connectivity database to indicate the reachability of a maintenance end point that originated said connectivity check frame.
11. The system of claim 8 , wherein said connectivity fault management trigger event comprises receipt of a loopback request frame for said maintenance point by said management proxy networking device, and wherein said connectivity fault management frame comprises a loopback reply frame.
12. The system of claim 8 , wherein said connectivity fault management trigger event comprises receipt of a Linktrace request frame for said maintenance point by said management proxy networking device, and wherein said connectivity fault management frame comprises a Linktrace reply frame.
13. The system of claim 8 , wherein said maintenance point comprises a maintenance end point.
14. The system of claim 8 , wherein said maintenance point comprises a maintenance intermediate point.
15. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, said computer readable storage medium have program code for providing connectivity fault management stored thereon, said program code comprising:
program code for detecting, in a management proxy networking device including at least one processor, a connectivity fault management trigger event for a maintenance point associated with a communication port on a customer premises equipment device connected to said management proxy networking device;
program code for generating, by said management proxy networking device, responsive to said connectivity fault management trigger event, a connectivity fault management frame;
program code for transmitting, to said customer premises equipment device from said management proxy networking device, a message containing connectivity fault management frame generated by said management proxy networking device, said message also indicating said communication port;
program code for determining, by said customer premises equipment device responsive to receipt of said message from said management proxy networking device and said indication of said communication port in said message, whether said communication port is operable; and
program code for originating, by said customer premises equipment device responsive to receipt of said message from said management proxy networking device and a determination that said communication port is operable, said connectivity fault management frame from said customer premises equipment device, wherein said originating includes extracting said connectivity fault management frame from said message received from said management proxy networking device and transmitting said connectivity fault management frame from said customer premises equipment through said management proxy networking device into a core network connected to said management proxy networking device.
16. A system for providing connectivity fault management, comprising:
at least one processor communicably coupled to at least one memory storing program code executable on said processor to provide connectivity fault management, said program code comprising:
program code for detecting, in a management proxy networking device including at least one processor, a connectivity fault management trigger event for a maintenance point associated with a communication port on a customer premises equipment device connected to said management proxy networking device;
program code for generating, by said management proxy networking device, responsive to said connectivity fault management trigger event, a connectivity fault management frame; and
program code for transmitting, to said customer premises equipment device from said management proxy networking device, a message containing connectivity fault management frame generated by said management proxy networking device, said message also indicating said communication port;
program code for determining, by said customer premises equipment device responsive to receipt of said message from said management proxy networking device and said indication of said communication port in said message, whether said communication port is operable; and
program code for originating, by said customer premises equipment device responsive to receipt of said message from said management proxy networking device and a determination that said communication port is operable, said connectivity fault management frame from said customer premises equipment device, wherein said originating includes extracting said connectivity fault management frame from said message received from said management proxy networking device and transmitting said connectivity fault management frame from said customer premises equipment through said management proxy networking device into a core network connected to said management proxy networking device.