System and methods of installing and operating devices without explicit network addresses

#This application incorporates by reference in their entireties the following applications, all of which have the same filing date as the present application: U.S. application Ser. No. 13/551,804, “Programmable Small Form-Factor Pluggable Module,” by Robitaille and Ostiguy; U.S. application Ser. No. 13/551,998 “Systems and Methods of Detecting and Assigning IP Addresses to Devices with ARP Requests,” by Robitaille and Lemieux; U.S. application Ser. No. 13/552,022, “Systems and Methods of Using Beacon Messages to Discover Devices Across Subnets,” by Robitaille and Bouffard, and U.S. application Ser. No. 13/552,063, “Systems and Methods of Discovering and Controlling Devices without Explicit Addressing,” by Robitaille and Bouffard.

#This invention is directed towards addressing the need for installing and operating, without prior configuration or knowledge and without network addresses, devices in a network for handling service requests on behalf of other upstream or downstream devices.

#Some devices in a network may not be able to perform Service Operations Administration and Maintenance (SOAM) and other functions on their own. Network operators are looking to deploy SOAM devices at different points inside their network infrastructure.

#The foregoing and other advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a Multiprotocol Label Switching Network (MPLS) network with an upstream device unable to perform SOAM functions, a device capable of performing SOAM functions on behalf of the upstream device and a downstream device capable of requesting SOAM functions;

#FIG. 2 shows the flow of messages through a device that is capable of passively discovering labels or IDs for a network when it is not configured with any prior knowledge of other devices or of the network and is not assigned any unique addressing information inside that network;

#While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

#In order for a SOAM capable device to be inserted into a network and perform SOAM and other functions of behalf of an upstream device or a plurality of upstream devices unable to perform such SOAM functions, the device must be able to learn or acquire information about the addressing of the other devices for which it needs to perform the SOAM functions. This learning or acquiring shall be transparent to other devices in the network and must not interfere with normal operation of the network.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a generic portion of a MPLS network. Downstream device 101 is a network device capable of requesting SOAM functions from other devices inside the network. The downstream device 101 may be a testing unit, a router or a remote node that is local or external to a subnet where a device 102 that is configured to perform SOAM functions is located. Device 104 is an upstream device inside the same network that is unable to perform SOAM functions. The upstream device 104 may be a router or a remote node that is local or external to a subnet where the device 102 is located. The device 102 is therefore inserted in front of the upstream device 104 in order to perform the SOAM functions on behalf of the upstream device 104. The device 102 incorporates a field programmable gate array (FPGA). According to another embodiment of the present invention, the device 102 incorporates an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The SOAM functions include monitoring traffic and diagnosing issues, performing remote in-service layer 1-4 loopback, ITU-T Y.1564, ITU-T Y.1731 and RFC 2544 performance testing and monitoring actual customer or user and network statistics via a management interface, and other functions.