JP2006304101A - Control method for communication device capable of changing hardware configuration, and communication device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication device capable of changing its hardware configuration during communication, without enlarging the device or increasing the number of components. <P>SOLUTION: A controller 14 of a communication device 1 instructs a signal output interface 12 to send out a pause frame signal, when rewriting a program in a programmable hardware 13 during communication with other communication device. The controller 14 rewrites the program in the programmable hardware 13 while the signal output interface 12 sends out the pause frame signal. When rewrite of the program is completed, the signal output interface 12 stops sending out of the pause frame signal. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication apparatus capable of changing a hardware configuration without dropping a frame while performing communication.

Conventionally, in a communication device, as a method of changing the hardware configuration while performing communication,
1. A method of doubling and arranging devices for performing frame processing, setting one as active operation and the other as standby operation, and changing the internal configuration of the spare hardware and then swapping the current and spare devices;
2. A method of arranging a buffer that temporarily holds a frame in front of the hardware to be changed and storing the frame in the buffer while the hardware internal configuration is being changed (Patent Document 1)
Was used.
JP 2004-241959 A

  In the conventional method described above, two same devices are required or a buffer is required, which causes a problem that the size of the device increases and the number of parts increases.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a communication device control method and a communication device capable of changing the hardware configuration while performing communication without increasing the size of the device or increasing the number of parts.

The communication device control method of the present invention includes:
In a control method in a communication apparatus having signal input interface means, signal output interface means, and programmable hardware means connected to the signal input interface means and the signal output interface means,
Provided with a function of transmitting a pause frame signal for stopping the transmission of the frame to the communication device of the previous stage, the control means of the communication device,
Instructing the signal output interface means to output a pause frame signal when rewriting the program of the programmable hardware means during communication with the preceding communication device;
Rewriting the program of the programmable hardware means while the signal output interface means outputs a pause frame signal;
When the rewriting of the program is completed, the step of stopping the signal output interface means from outputting a pause frame signal is included.

  An Ethernet device equipped with the IEEE 802.3x function has a function of stopping signal transmission by transmitting a pause frame to the Ethernet device connected to the preceding stage of the Ethernet device.

  The present invention uses the communication device having the pause frame transmission function, transmits a pause frame signal from the communication device whose internal configuration is changed to the preceding communication device, and stops the transmission of the frame signal. The program is rewritten to change the internal configuration. When the change is completed, transmission of the pause frame signal is canceled and frame transmission / reception is started.

  The present invention can provide a communication device capable of changing the hardware configuration while performing communication without increasing the size of the device or increasing the number of components.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication device shown in FIG. 1 (1) includes a programmable hardware unit connected to a signal input interface unit 11, a signal output interface unit 12, a signal input interface unit 11 and a signal output interface 12. 14, a signal input interface unit 11, a signal output interface 12, and a control unit 14 that controls the programmable hardware unit 14. The signal input interface unit 11 and the signal output interface unit 12 are physical interfaces having an Ethernet function. The programmable hardware unit 14 is, for example, hardware configured by an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), a processor, a network processor, a reconfigurable processor, and the like. The communication device 1 shown in FIG. 1 (2) includes a plurality of signal input interface units 11 _{1 to} 11 _{n, a} signal output interface unit 12 _{1 to} 12 _n , a signal input interface unit, and a signal output interface unit. Other configurations are the same as those of the communication apparatus shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the communication device 1 is connected to an Ethernet device 2 at the front stage and an Ethernet device 3 at the rear stage, and the Ethernet devices 2 and 3 are further connected to networks 4 and 5, respectively. In a normal operation state, as shown in FIG. 3, the Ethernet frame is input from the Ethernet device 2 at the previous stage to the communication device 1, passes through the communication device 1, and is input to the Ethernet device 3 at the subsequent stage.

  Next, the procedure for changing the function of the communication apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. It is assumed that the function A is currently set in the communication apparatus 1 and this is changed to the function B.

  First, the control unit 14 instructs the signal output interface unit 12 to transmit a pause frame to the Ethernet device 2 in the previous stage. In accordance with this instruction, the signal output interface unit 12 transmits a pause frame to the Ethernet device 2 (FIG. 4 (1)).

  Upon receiving the pause frame, the Ethernet device 2 stops transmitting the frame addressed to the communication device 1 in accordance with the Ethernet standard (FIG. 4 (2)). When the transmission of the frame addressed to the apparatus stops, the communication apparatus 1 continues to transmit the frame from the apparatus to the Ethernet apparatus 3 while the received frame is still in the programmable hardware unit 14.

  When there is no received frame in the programmable hardware unit 14, the communication device 1 stops frame transmission ((3) in FIG. 4).

  At this time, the control unit 14 instructs the programmable hardware unit 14 to change the function, and the function of the programmable hardware unit 14 changes from A to B (FIG. 4 (4)).

  When a predetermined time has elapsed from the function change start time, the control unit 14 determines that the function change of this apparatus has been completed, instructs the signal output interface unit 12 to stop transmission of the pause frame, and the Ethernet device 2. Ethernet frames can be received from (FIG. 4 (5)).

  When the communication device 1 receives a pause frame from the subsequent Ethernet device 3, the communication device 1 transmits the pause frame to the previous Ethernet device 2 as it is. As a result, the signal from the preceding Ethernet device 2 does not arrive, and the frame to the succeeding Ethernet device 3 does not arrive at the communication device 1.

  For example, some functions such as FPGA and reconfigurable processor can set a plurality of programs therein. These are called dynamic reconfigurable devices, and a plurality of circuit configurations and programs can be stored therein, and the functions of these devices can be changed during operation. For example, the configuration of a reconfigurable processor, DAPDNA (a trade name of IP Flex Co., Ltd.) can be changed in a time of one clock. When such programmable hardware is used in this apparatus, the interruption of communication by a pause frame is usually within the jitter level in communication and does not affect the communication. Also, a plurality of programs can be stored in the processor and the network, and the program can be changed during operation. However, since the switching time is slower than that of a normal device, multiple programs can be operated in advance in a separate process (in the case of a network processor, a separate processing element), so that it can be changed by simply switching the process. Non-instantaneous hardware change can be realized.

It is a block diagram of the communication apparatus by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of the network containing the communication apparatus of FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a flow of an Ether frame in a normal operation state of the communication apparatus of FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows the procedure which changes the function of the communication apparatus of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 communication devices 2 and 3 the Ethernet device 4,5 networks 11, 11 ₁ to 11 _n signal input Ethernet interface 12, 12 ₁ to 12 _n signal output Ethernet interface 13 programmable hardware unit 14 control unit

Claims (5)

In a control method in a communication apparatus having signal input interface means, signal output interface means, and programmable hardware means connected to the signal input interface means and the signal output interface means,
Provide a function to transmit a pause frame signal to stop the transmission of the frame to the previous communication device,
Instructing the signal output interface means to output the pause frame signal when the control means of the communication device rewrites the program of the programmable hardware means during communication with the preceding communication device;
Rewriting the program of the programmable hardware means while the signal output interface means outputs the pause frame signal;
When rewriting of the program is completed, stopping outputting the pause frame signal to the signal output interface means;
A method for controlling a communication apparatus, comprising:   In the step of rewriting the program, when transmission of the pause frame signal stops transmission of a frame addressed to the own communication device, while the received frame is still in the programmable hardware means, 2. The method of controlling a communication device according to claim 1, wherein a frame is transmitted to the communication device, and the gram of the programmable hardware means is rewritten when there is no frame in the programmable hardware device. .   The programmable hardware means can store a plurality of programs, and if the program can be changed in a certain time during the operation of the program, the control means starts the program change when the function change is completed. The method for controlling a communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a step of determining when the program change is completed based on an elapsed time from the time.     4. The signal output interface means further comprising the step of transferring the pause frame as it is from the signal output interface means to the preceding communication apparatus when receiving a pause frame from the subsequent communication apparatus. A method for controlling the communication device according to claim 1. In a communication apparatus comprising signal input interface means, signal output interface means, and programmable hardware means connected to the signal input interface means and the signal output interface means,
It has a function to transmit a pause frame signal to stop transmission of frames to the communication device in the previous stage,
Instructing the signal output interface means to output a pause frame signal when the program of the programmable hardware means is rewritten during communication with the preceding communication device, and the signal output interface means A control means for rewriting the program of the programmable hardware means while outputting the program, and stopping the signal output interface means from issuing a pause frame signal when the rewriting of the program is completed. Communication device.

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