JP3745277B2 - Line test method and line test apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a line test method and a line test apparatus, and in particular, a line test apparatus is provided between an Ethernet switch in each housing complex and a base end facility, whereby the base end network management system uses the line test apparatus. In addition, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus capable of performing a multi-layer circuit test for a housing complex network system.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Due to the tremendous development of the Internet in recent years, the World Wide Web (referred to as WWW for short) provides a variety of multimedia services such as voice, graphic images, and moving images, in addition to providing conventional electronic mail transmission services. People can easily obtain a wealth of diverse information services through this route, and access at home is already part of the daily activities of many people. Network operators are also designing various high-speed network equipment such as cable modems or ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) modems based on this trend to improve network transmission speed. To increase peripheral devices of various networks, such as network type telephone equipment (Voice Over IP Device, abbreviated as VOIP), and provide online communication services to users, long-distance and international communications Cost savings are greatly reduced.
[0003]
In various network configurations currently in use, the network configuration of telephone lines (UTP) is widely applied to the network configuration of each housing complex. As shown in FIG. 1, in the online configuration of this type of network system, The Ethernet card 30 at the user end is provided with an ADSL communication interface (not shown in the drawing) and a router control circuit (not shown in the drawing), and an existing unshielded double twisted wire ( Unshielded Twisted Pair (abbreviated as UTP for short) is connected to an Ethernet switch 32 installed in a base end 34 (or network system communication company) complex through a telephone line 31, and the Ethernet switch 32 is further connected. It is connected to the Ethernet equipment at the base end 34 using the optical fiber 33, and the Ethernet equipment is further updated. It is connected to the Internet 35 by transmitting a packet information Ethernet card 30 to the Internet 35 through the optical fiber 33, or receiving the transmitted packet information from the Internet 35. In such a network configuration, the network switch 32 at the base end 34 installed in the estate distributes the high-speed transmission function of the optical fiber 33 to a certain number of user terminals in the estate via the existing telephone line 31. Used, thereby improving the transmission speed of each user end network.
[0004]
In such an application configuration of optical fiber to a house (Fiber To The Home, abbreviated as FTTH) or Ethernet to a house (Ethernet To The Home, abbreviated as ETTH), a network built in each estate Since the exchanger 32 is far away from the base end 34, maintenance management cannot be performed at any time. Also, when performing online maintenance management using a network, most network management systems employ a simplified network management agreement called SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) and are limited to that agreement. It is impossible to perform on-line maintenance management from the network 34 to each network switch 32. When a trouble occurs, it is generally detected in which part the trouble has occurred by using a line test (loopback test) method. As shown in FIG. One or more Ping commands are sent from the system, and when the network switch 32 installed in the housing complex receives the Ping command, the network management system replies to the Ping command each time. It is determined whether or not a trouble has occurred in the network switch 32 depending on whether a reply to the command has been received. However, each time a trouble occurs, the network management system detects whether the network switch has returned normally by sending a Ping command, and checks only whether there is a problem with the line. It is unclear where the problem occurred, the line was disconnected, or the network switch software was not started. In addition, if the network management system sends a Ping command and wants to obtain a normal reply, there is no problem with the hardware, and the related software must also operate normally. It is difficult to accurately determine where the problem occurred because it cannot be obtained. Therefore, conventionally, maintenance personnel have to go to the installation site of each network switch and perform maintenance management, which not only causes many management problems, but also greatly increases the cost of maintenance management, There are also many negative effects on network transmission quality.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to easily find out whether a trouble has occurred with the line test device, to quickly detect whether the connection status of the Ethernet switch is normal and whether the line test device is normal, and maintenance personnel Does not have to go to the installation site of each network switch to perform maintenance management, can greatly reduce the cost of maintenance management, and can effectively improve the quality of service of network transmission. To provide a test device.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In view of many drawbacks and problems in the conventional network configuration, the inventor of the present invention has studied a circuit test method and a circuit test apparatus of a housing complex network system, and a circuit test apparatus between an Ethernet switch and a base-end equipment. Therefore, the network management system at the base end can use the line test device to perform a three-layer line test for the housing complex network system, and whether a trouble has occurred between the base end and the line test device. It is easy to understand and can quickly detect whether the connection status of the Ethernet switch is normal and whether the line test equipment is normal, and maintenance personnel go to the installation site of each network switch and perform maintenance. There is no need to perform any management, greatly reducing maintenance management costs. It can be, the service quality of the network transmission can be effectively improved.
[0007]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention mainly addresses the problem that the network configuration of the telephone line (UTP), which is most widely applied to the above-mentioned housing estates, cannot immediately perform on-line maintenance management for each network switch from the base end. Invented a system line test method and circuit test apparatus, and through the present invention, it is possible to add a function of performing on-line maintenance management for each network switch from the base end to this type of conventional network configuration. .
[0008]
Please refer to FIG. In a conventional telephone line (UTP) network configuration, a user terminal 40 is connected to an Ethernet switch 42 installed in the housing complex using an existing telephone line 41, and the Ethernet switch 42 is further connected to an optical fiber. 43 is sequentially connected to the base end 44 and the Internet 45, whereby the packet signal of the user end 40 is transmitted to the Internet 45, or the packet signal transmitted from the Internet 45 is received. The line test apparatus 46 according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided between the Ethernet switch 42 and the base end 44 equipment of each housing complex. As shown in FIG. 3, the line test apparatus 46 includes an Ethernet control circuit 461. The packet reception / transmission control circuit 462 and at least two sets of input / output ports 463, 464 are included, and the packet reception / transmission control circuit 462 is an integrated circuit completed from a general FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or ASIC. It is mainly used for performing a line test (loopback test) and generating and responding to a packet. The packet transmission / reception control circuit 462 is further connected to the Ethernet control circuit 461, and the Ethernet control circuit 461 One end is connected to the Ethernet switch 42 in the housing complex through the input / output port 463, and the other end is connected to another Connected to the equipment at base end 44 through input port 464, which provides normal operation of these input / output ports 463, 464, and different intermediate conversions under full-duplex or full / half duplex mode And perform the necessary controls for the buffer.
[0009]
When the base end 44 performs a line test on the internet system of the housing complex using the line test apparatus 46 of the present embodiment, the line test has three layers in total, and the line test of the first layer among them is It is used to check whether a hardware problem has occurred between the network test system at the base end 44 and between the line test equipment and between the Ethernet switches 42 in the housing complex. Alternatively, a number of special BPDU (Bridge Protocol Data Units) packets are transmitted. The complete form is shown in FIG. When the Ethernet control circuit 461 in the circuit test device 46 receives one or many special BPDU packets, it transmits the packet to the packet reception / transmission control circuit 462, and the packet reception / transmission control circuit 462 immediately transmits the BPDU packet. The source address (Source Address) is changed to a specific source address, and is further returned to the network management system at the base end 44 through the Ethernet control circuit 461. In this embodiment, all the states of the input / output port 463 connected to the Ethernet switch 42 are incorporated in the returned packet, and these states include the operation speed (Speed) of the input / output port 463, Full duplex or half duplex mode (Duplex) and connection status (link status) are included, so if the network management system at the base end 44 receives the returned packet, it causes trouble on the line. (For example, if a packet returned within a certain period of time has not been received, this indicates that a trouble has occurred in the line), and the input / output port 463 can be normally operated. It is possible to confirm whether it is connected to the Ethernet switch 42, and details of the reply packet The format is as shown in FIG.
[0010]
The second layer circuit test of the present invention is used to check if a trouble has occurred between the circuit test device 46 and the Ethernet switch 42 of the housing complex, and the method can be used from a network management system for one or more special tests. (The complete form is shown in FIG. 6), and the Ethernet control circuit 461 in the line test device 46 receives a special BPDU packet used to start the line test mode (loopback test mode). Then, the packet transmission / reception control circuit 462 controls the Ethernet control circuit 461, and the input / output port 463 of the Ethernet switch 42 connected to the housing enters the circuit test mode, whereby the network of the base end 44 All packets transmitted from the management system to the input / output port 463 remain the same as the network of the base end 44 Is sent back to the management system to complete the line test, but upon completion of the line test, the network management system at the base end 44 issues another (or multiple) special BPDU packet that terminates the line test mode, When the Ethernet control circuit 461 in the line test device 46 receives a special BPDU packet for ending the line test mode, the packet transmission / reception control circuit 462 in the line test device 46 controls the Ethernet control circuit 461. The input / output port 463 of the Ethernet switch 42 connected to the housing complex is restored to the normal mode.
[0011]
The third layer circuit test of the present invention uses a general conventional Ping command to check whether a hardware or software problem has occurred between the network management system at the base end 44 and the Ethernet switch 42 in the housing complex. Therefore, since the test operation is a generally well-known technique as described above, no further explanation is given here.
[0012]
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 7, the network management system at the base end 44 uses the line test device 46, and the above-described three-layer line test is performed on the housing network system in the following order. It is carried out.
(10) First, the first layer line test is performed. One or many special BPDU (Bridge Protocol Data Units) packets are transmitted from the network management system and returned from the line test apparatus 46 within a certain period of time. Is received, and the information contained in the reply packet indicates that the input / output port 463 is indeed properly connected to the Ethernet switch 42. If this is the case, it indicates that the first layer line test was successful, in which case the sequence (13) continues. If not received, proceed to the next order.
[0013]
(11) If it is determined from the received reply packet that the input / output port 463 is not normally connected to the Ethernet switch 42, the sequence (12) is continued. Otherwise, if a reply packet sent back from the line test device 46 is not received within a certain time, it means that an interruption has occurred between the network test system at the base end 44 and the line test device 46. Yes.
[0014]
(12) A second-layer circuit test is performed, in which one or many special BPDU packets are transmitted from the network management system at the base end 44 and transmitted from the network management system at the base end 44 to the input / output port 463. It is determined whether all the packets are returned to the network management system at the base end 44 as they are, but if they are sent back to the network management system at the base end 44, the line test device 46 Indicates that an interruption occurred between the Ethernet switch 42 in the housing complex, or that a problem occurred in the hardware of the Ethernet switch 42 in the housing complex. If all packets transmitted to the network are not returned to the network management system at the base end 44 If this is the case, it indicates that a problem has occurred in the line test apparatus 46.
[0015]
(13) A third-layer circuit test is performed. It is transmitted one or more Ping commands from the network management system at the base end 44, and is sent back from the Ethernet switch 42 of the housing complex within a certain period of time. If it is received, it indicates that the network system of the estate is normal, and if not, the operation of the software of the Ethernet switch 42 of the estate Indicates that a problem has occurred.
[0016]
As can be seen from the above, in this embodiment, it is possible to easily determine whether a trouble has occurred between the base end and the line test apparatus from the network management system of the base end 44, and the Ethernet switch in the housing complex It is possible to quickly detect whether the connection status of 42 is normal and whether the line test equipment is normal, and maintenance personnel do not need to go to the installation site of each network switch to perform inspection and measurement one by one. Maintenance management costs can be greatly reduced, and service quality of network transmission can be effectively improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing connections of devices in a conventional telephone line network configuration.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing connections of devices in the housing estate network system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a circuit configuration of a line test apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a format of a special BPDU packet transmitted from a network management system when a first layer line test according to an embodiment of the present invention is performed.
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a format of a reply packet from a line test apparatus when performing a first layer line test according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a format of a special BPDU packet transmitted from the network management system when performing a second layer line test according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a line test method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
42 Ethernet switch 44 Base end 46 Line test device 461 Ethernet control circuit 462 Packet transmission / reception control circuit 463, 464 I / O port

Claims (9)

A line test device is provided between the Ethernet switch in the housing complex and the housing network system at the base end, and the network management system at the base end uses the circuit test device to perform a line test on the housing network system. A circuit test method that is capable of
One or a plurality of special BPDU packets are transmitted from the network management system, it is determined whether a reply packet returned from the circuit test device is received within a predetermined time, and the reply packet is received and the reply packet When it is determined that the input / output port is not normally connected to the Ethernet switch according to the information in the network, the next line test is continued and the reply packet is returned from the line test device within a predetermined time. The first layer circuit test indicating that an interruption has occurred between the network management system at the base end and the circuit test device;
One or more special BPDU packets are transmitted from the network management system at the base end, and all packets transmitted from the network management system at the base end to the input / output port remain unchanged at the base end. It is determined whether the network management system is returned, and if it is returned, an interruption occurs between the line test apparatus and the Ethernet switch of the housing complex, or the Ethernet switch of the housing complex This indicates that a problem has occurred in hardware, and when all the packets transmitted from the network management system at the base end to the input / output port are not returned to the network management system at the base end, Procedure for performing a second layer line test indicating that a problem has occurred inside the line test equipment When,
A circuit test method comprising: In the first layer line test, the network management system receives the reply packet returned from the line test apparatus within a predetermined time, and the information in the reply packet indicates that the input / output port is normal. If it is shown that it is connected to the Ethernet switch, it indicates that the first layer circuit test was successful, a third layer circuit test was performed, and the third layer circuit test If one or a plurality of Ping commands are transmitted from the network management system at the end, it is determined whether the information returned from the Ethernet switch in the housing complex is received within a predetermined time, and if it is determined This means that the housing network system is normal, and if it is determined that it is not receiving, the software of the Ethernet switch in the housing 2. The line test method according to claim 1, wherein a problem occurs in the operation of the wire. The line test of the first layer confirms whether a trouble has occurred in hardware between the network management system at the base end and the line test apparatus and between the Ethernet switch in the housing complex. Used to transmit one or more special BPDU packets from the network management system, and when the Ethernet control circuit inside the circuit test apparatus receives one or more special BPDU packets, The BPDU packet is transmitted to the packet transmission / reception control circuit, and the packet transmission / reception control circuit immediately changes the source address of the transmitted BPDU packet to a predetermined source address, and the network at the base end through the Ethernet control circuit. 2. The line test method according to claim 1, wherein the line test method is returned to the management system. . In the first layer circuit test, information on all states of the input / output ports connected to the Ethernet switch is incorporated in the reply packet to be returned, and the network management system at the base end If the returned reply packet is received, it is possible to determine whether a trouble has occurred in the line, and to determine whether the input / output port is normally connected to the Ethernet switch. The line test method according to claim 1, wherein the line test method is possible. The second layer circuit test is used to check whether a trouble has occurred between the circuit test apparatus and the Ethernet switch of the housing complex, and one or more special tests are performed from the network management system. When the BPDU packet is transmitted and a special BPDU packet used for starting the circuit test mode is received by the Ethernet control circuit inside the circuit test apparatus, the packet reception / transmission control circuit controls the Ethernet control circuit, The I / O port of the Ethernet switch connected to the estate enters the circuit test mode, and all packets transmitted from the network management system at the base end to the I / O port remain unchanged. It is sent back to the network management system at the base end to complete the second layer circuit test. Line test method according to claim 1, wherein. When the second layer circuit test is completed, the network management system at the base end transmits another one or more special BPDU packets for ending the circuit test mode, and the Ethernet inside the circuit test apparatus is transmitted. When the network control circuit receives a special BPDU packet that terminates the circuit test mode, the packet transmission / reception control circuit inside the circuit test device controls the Ethernet control circuit and is connected to the housing complex. 6. The line test method according to claim 5, wherein the input / output port of the Ethernet switch is restored to a normal mode. A circuit test device installed between an Ethernet switch in the housing complex and a housing network system composed of base-end equipment,
Two sets of input and output ports,
One end is connected to the Ethernet switch of the estate through the input / output port, and the other end is connected to the base-end facility through another input / output port to provide normal operation of the input / output port. An Ethernet control circuit that provides the necessary control for different intermediary diversions and buffers under duplex or half-duplex mode;
An integrated circuit, used to perform a line test to generate and reply to a packet, and includes a packet transmission / reception control circuit connected to the Ethernet control circuit;
When the network management system at the base end performs the line test on the housing estate network system and the Ethernet control circuit receives one or more special BPDU packets, the BPDU packet is transmitted to the packet transmission / reception control circuit. The packet transmission / reception control circuit immediately changes the source address of the BPDU packet to a specific source address, returns it to the network management system at the base end through the Ethernet control circuit, and A line test apparatus characterized in that the network management system can determine whether a trouble has occurred in a line and whether the input / output port is normally connected to the Ethernet switch. When the Ethernet control circuit receives the special BPDU packet used to start the line test mode, the packet transmission / reception control circuit controls the Ethernet control circuit, and the Ethernet connected to the estate The input / output port of the switch enters the line test mode, and all packets transmitted from the network management system at the base end to the input / output port are sent as they are to the network management system at the base end. The line test apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the line test apparatus is returned to complete the line test. When the Ethernet control circuit completes the line test and the Ethernet control circuit receives a special BPDU packet that terminates the line test mode transmitted by the network management system, the packet transmission / reception control circuit performs the Ethernet control. 9. The line test apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a circuit is controlled to restore the input / output port of the Ethernet switch connected to the housing to a normal mode.

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