Route control system and route control method in a switching apparatus

Abstract

A system includes a cell handler, a virtual path handler, a virtual channel handler, a trunk. and a controller. The controller initiates, based on issuing an instruction to the cell handler, a loop-back control test. The loop-back control test involving transmission of an operation and maintenance (OAM) cell from the cell handler, via the virtual path handler, the virtual channel handler, and the trunk, and back to the cell handler. The controller further monitors the OAM cell, detects a fault based on monitoring the OAM cell; and perform fault avoidance based on detecting the fault.

1 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A system comprising:
 a cell handler;   a virtual path handler;   a virtual channel handler;   a trunk; and   a controller to:
 initiate, based on issuing an instruction to the cell handler, a loop-back control test,
 the loop-back control test involving transmission of an operation and maintenance (OAM) cell from the cell handler, via the virtual path handler, the virtual channel handler, and the trunk, and back to the cell handler, 
 
 monitor the OAM cell, 
 detect a fault based on monitoring the OAM cell; and 
 perform fault avoidance based on detecting the fault. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , where the controller, when performing the fault avoidance, is further to:
 route, based on the fault, data via one or more of:
 the virtual path handler, 
 the virtual channel handler, or 
 the trunk. 
   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , where the virtual path handler, the virtual channel handler, and the trunk are included in a single switching apparatus. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , where the controller is further to:
 periodically initiate the loop-back control test.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , where:
 the loop-back control test further involves transmission, by the cell handler, of a plurality of OAM cells via a plurality of paths,   the controller, when monitoring the OAM cell, is further to:
 identify a first subset, of the plurality of OAM cells, that return to the cell handler, and 
 identify a second subset, of the plurality of OAM cells, that do not return to the cell handler, and 
   the controller, when determining the fault, is further to:
 determine the fault based on analyzing the first subset and the second subset. 
   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 13 , where the cell handler is one of a plurality of cell handlers, and
 where the controller, when initiating the loop-back control test, is further to:
 switch to the cell handler from another, different cell handler of the plurality of cell handlers, and 
 initiate the loop-back control test based on switching to the cell handler. 
   
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 initiating, by a controller and based on issuing an instruction to a cell handler, a loop-back control test,
 the loop-back control test involving transmission of an operation and maintenance (OAM) cell by the cell handler,
 the OAM cell being transmitted:
 from the cell handler, 
 to a virtual path handler, a virtual channel handler, and a trunk, and 
 back to the cell handler; 
 
 
   determining, by the controller, whether the OAM cell returned to the cell handler;   detecting, by the controller, a fault based on whether the OAM cell returned to the cell handler; and   performing fault avoidance based on detecting the fault.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , where performing the fault avoidance includes:
 performing a route switching operation based on detecting the fault.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , where the virtual path handler, the virtual channel handler, and the trunk are included in a switching apparatus. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , where the controller located external to the switching apparatus. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , where initiating the loop-back control test includes:
 initiating the loop-back control test on a periodic basis.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , where the loop-back control test further involves:
 routing, from and back to the cell handler, a plurality of OAM cells via respective combinations of:
 a plurality of virtual path handlers, 
 a plurality of virtual channel handlers, and 
 a plurality of trunks, and 
   where the method further comprises
 identifying which OAM cells, of the plurality of OAM cells, return to the cell handler. 
   
     
     
         25 . A system, comprising:
 a controller to:
 initiate a loop-back control test,
 the loop-back control test involving transmission, by a testing device, of testing data via a path, 
 the path forming a loop to and from the testing device, and 
 the path including a path handler, a channel handler, and a trunk, 
 
 identify a portion of the test data returning to the testing device via the path, and 
 identify a fault based on a portion of the test data not returning to the testing device via the path, and 
 perform fault avoidance based on the fault. 
   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , where the controller is further to initiate the loop-back control test at multiple times. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 25 , where the controller, when performing the fault avoidance, is further to.
 route data based on identifying the fault.   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27  where the controller, when routing the data based on identifying the fault, is further to:
 determine that the failure is associated with at least one of the path handler, the channel handler, or the trunk, and 
 direct the data along a route that excludes the at least one of the path handler, the channel handler, or the trunk associated with the failure. 
 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 25 , where:
 the loop-back control test is a first loop-back control test,   the testing device is a first testing device,   the test data is first test data, and   the controller is further to:
 initiate a second loop-back control test,
 the second loop-back control test involving transmission, by a second testing device, of second testing data, and 
 
 determine results associated with the second loop-back control test, and 
 identify the fault further based on the results of the second loop-back control test. 
   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28 , where:
 the path is a first path,   the second loop-back control test further involves transmission of the second data via a second path, and   the second path excludes at least one of the path handler, the channel handler, or the trunk.   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 25 , where the path handler, the channel handler, and trunk are included in a switching apparatus. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 25 , where:
 the testing device includes an operation and maintenance (OAM) cell handler,   the path handler includes a virtual path handler, and   the channel handler includes:
 a virtual channel handler, and 
 OAM channel handler.