Path diagnosis in communication networks
View Patent ↗One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for mapping all possible paths between a source node and a destination node. During operation, the system receives a management frame, determines all possible next-hop nodes based on a destination address carried in the payload of the management frame. The system then selects one of the next-hop nodes, and modifies payload of the received management frame to include information associated with the next-hop nodes and the selected next-hop node. The system then forwards the modified data frame to the selected next-hop node.
1. A computer-executed method, comprising:
determining an output port for a first frame;
determining a plurality of next-hop nodes based on a destination address carried in a payload of a management frame, wherein the management frame shares the same destination address as the first frame, and wherein the payload of the management frame indicates one next-hop node previously traversed by the first frame;
selecting one of the plurality of next-hop nodes for transmitting the management frame based on information from the first frame carried in the payload of the management frame; and
modifying the payload of the management frame to include information indicating the selected next-hop node and at least one other of the plurality of next-hop nodes, wherein the selected next-hop node is the same next-hop node previously traversed by the first frame.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information from the first frame indicates at least one of:
a source address;
a destination address;
a receiving port; and
an exchange identifier.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising indicating a respective next-hop node with a Fibre Channel (FC) switch address.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising transmitting the first frame prior to transmitting the management frame, wherein the first frame is an FC Echo frame;
wherein the payload of the management frame comprises header information of the first frame.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a response frame corresponding to the management frame.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the response frame includes a copy of the payload of the modified management frame.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting a plurality of subsequent management frames with the same destination address in their respective payload via different next-hop nodes.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising collecting statistics indicating data path health based on response frames received in response to the management frames.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the next-hop node comprises selecting a virtual channel (VC).
10. A switch, comprising:
a processor;
a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:
determining an output port for a first frame;
storing in a data structure information which indicates a plurality of next-hop nodes for a destination address carried in a payload of a management frame, wherein the management frame shares the same destination address as the first frame, and wherein the payload of the management frame indicates one next-hop node previously traversed by the first frame;
selecting one of the plurality of next-hop nodes for transmitting the management frame based on information from the first frame carried in the payload of the management frame; and
modifying the payload of the management frame to include information indicating the selected next-hop node and at least one other of the plurality of next-hop nodes, wherein the selected next-hop node is the same next-hop node previously traversed by the first frame.
11. The switch of claim 10 , wherein the information from the first frame indicates at least one of:
a source address;
a destination address;
a receiving port; and
an exchange identifier.
12. The switch of claim 10 , wherein a respective next-hop node is indicated by an FC switch address.
13. The switch of claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises transmitting the first frame prior to transmitting the management frame, wherein the first frame is an FC Echo frame; and
wherein the payload of the management frame comprises header information of the first frame.
14. The switch of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises generating a response frame corresponding to the management frame.
15. The switch of claim 14 , wherein the response frame includes a copy of the payload of the modified management frame.
16. The switch of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises transmitting a plurality of subsequent management frames with the same destination address in their respective payload via different next-hop nodes.
17. The switch of claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises collecting statistics indicating data path health based on response frames received in response to the management frames.
18. The switch of claim 10 , wherein while selecting the next-hop node, the method further comprises selecting a VC.
19. A switch means, comprising:
a determining means for determining an output port for a first frame;
a storage means for storing information indicating a plurality of next-hop nodes for a destination address carried in a payload of a management frame, wherein the management frame shares the same destination address as the first frame, and wherein the payload of the management frame indicates one next-hop node previously traversed by the first frame;
a selection means for selecting one of the plurality of next-hop nodes for transmitting the management frame based on information for the first frame carried in the payload of the management frame; and
a payload modification means for modifying the payload of the management frame to include information indicating the selected next-hop node and at least one other of the plurality of next-hop nodes, wherein the selected next-hop node is the same next-hop node previously traversed by the first frame.
20. The switch means of claim 19 , further comprising a generation means for generating a response frame corresponding to the management frame.