OAM and time slot control in a vertical ladder topology network
In one embodiment, a network of nodes is configured to communicate according to a configuration of a vertical ladder topology as well as monitoring communication in the network, and/or selectively controls whether or not provisioned particular links will be used. One embodiment colors nodes of the network (e.g., a wireless deterministic network) along different paths through the network and marks packets with the color of each traversed node to track a path taken by a packet. One embodiment sends a particular packet through the network and marks over which links the packet traverses and aggregates these traversed links of other copies of the particular packet. One embodiment controls whether or not the provisioned time slots are used based on flooding a control packet through the network with enable or disable information for each of these links.
1. A method, comprising:
configuring an Available Routing Construct (ARC) chain topology deterministic network to communicate packets using a plurality of time slots through a plurality of network nodes organized into a plurality of arcs for reaching a destination;
receiving a particular packet by a node of a first arc of the plurality of arcs; and
forwarding the particular packet through nodes of the plurality of network nodes to the destination;
wherein each arc of the plurality of arcs has two edge network nodes and one or more non-edge network nodes in between said two edge network nodes;
wherein the plurality of arcs includes one or more successive arcs communicatively between the first arc and the destination;
wherein both of said edge network nodes on each particular arc of the plurality of arcs communicate with the destination or a same next arc of said one or more successive arcs;
wherein said forwarding the particular packet includes: progressively communicating instances of the particular packet among nodes of each of the plurality of arcs and from each of said edge network nodes of the plurality of arcs to the destination or a same next arc of said one or more successive arcs; wherein the destination and each of said one or more successive arcs receive two of said instances of the particular packet; and
wherein a bitmap, representing particular time slots of the plurality of time slots, in said instances of the particular packet is progressively updated to indicate time slots of the plurality of time slots used in said forwarding the particular packet through nodes of the plurality of network nodes to the destination.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ARC chain topology deterministic network is a wireless deterministic network.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular packet is a probe packet said forwarded through nodes of the plurality of network nodes to the destination in verifying the integrity of the ARC chain topology deterministic network prior to sending data packets though the ARC chain topology deterministic network using the same time slots of the plurality of time slots used in said forwarding the particular packet.
4. The method of claim 1 , comprising adjusting one or more time slots of the plurality of time slots used in said forwarding the particular packet through nodes of the plurality of network nodes to the destination in response to information acquired from the bitmap of one or more instances of the particular packet.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the bitmap is only said progressively updated in instances of the particular packet that will be said communicated to the destination or said same next arc.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the ARC chain topology deterministic network is a wireless deterministic network.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bitmap is only said progressively updated in instances of the particular packet that will be said communicated to the destination or said same next arc.
8. A deterministic network, comprising:
a plurality of network nodes, communicatively organized into a plurality of arcs according to an Available Routing Construct (ARC) chain topology, using a plurality of time slots to forward to a destination a particular packet received on a node of a first arc of the plurality of arcs;
wherein each arc of the plurality of arcs has two edge network nodes and one or more non-edge network nodes in between said two edge network nodes;
wherein the plurality of arcs includes one or more successive arcs communicatively between the first arc and the destination;
wherein both of said edge network nodes on each particular arc of the plurality of arcs communicate with the destination or a same next arc of said one or more successive arcs;
wherein said forwarding the particular packet includes: progressively communicating instances of the particular packet among nodes of each of the plurality of arcs and from each of said edge network nodes of the plurality of arcs to the destination or a same next arc of said one or more successive arcs; wherein the destination and each of said one or more successive arcs receive two of said instances of the particular packet; and
wherein a bitmap, representing particular time slots of the plurality of time slots, in said instances of the particular packet is progressively updated to indicate time slots of the plurality of time slots used in said forwarding the particular packet through nodes of the plurality of network nodes to the destination.
9. The deterministic network of claim 8 , wherein one or more time slots of the plurality of time slots used in said forwarding the particular packet through nodes of the plurality of network nodes to the destination is changed in response to information acquired from the bitmap of one or more instances of the particular packet.
10. The deterministic network of claim 9 , wherein the bitmap is only said progressively updated in instances of the particular packet that will be said communicated to the destination or said same next arc.
11. The deterministic network of claim 10 , wherein the deterministic network is a wireless deterministic network.
12. The deterministic network of claim 8 , wherein the bitmap is only said progressively updated in instances of the particular packet that will be said communicated to the destination or said same next arc.
13. The deterministic network of claim 8 , wherein the deterministic network is a wireless deterministic network.
14. The deterministic network of claim 8 , wherein the particular packet is a probe packet said forwarded through nodes of the plurality of network nodes to the destination in verifying the integrity of the deterministic network prior to sending data packets though the deterministic network using the same time slots of the plurality of time slots used in said forwarding the particular packet.
15. The deterministic network of claim 8 , comprising means for determining the plurality of time slots.