US 10,771,316 B1Granted

Debugging of a network device through emulation

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsJamie Plenderleith, Guillaume Boissier, Alan Michael Judge

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An emulation mode for network devices is described as a means of isolating a defective network device from real network traffic, while continuing to transmit faux traffic to the defective network device, wherein the faux traffic is intentionally dropped. The emulation mode allows the defective network device to be tested in an environment that appears real, without impacting user traffic. A management server can control one or more neighbor network devices and place them in the emulation mode as a way to isolate and test the defective network device. In the emulation mode, the neighbor network device monitors for packets that, based on previous routing history, would be sent to the defective network device and, instead, routes them to functioning network devices using a current FIB. A virtual RIB/FIB can also be used to route the same packets to the defective network device.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method of testing a network device, comprising:

receiving a command to switch a neighbor network device to an emulation mode, wherein the neighbor network device is coupled to the network device being tested;
storing state information of the neighbor network device including a state of a switching protocol and current forwarding information;
monitoring for network packets, received by the neighbor network device, to be passed to the network device being tested;
detecting a received network packet to be passed to the network device being tested;
forwarding the received network packet to a network device not being tested so that the received network packet can be forwarded to its destination;
switching a state of the neighbor network device to the stored state information to enter the emulation mode;
and
forwarding the received network packet to the network device being tested to emulate that the network device is in a normal mode of operation;
receiving a packet, in the neighbor network device, from the network device being tested;
if a determination is made that the packet is a data packet that would normally be forwarded, then dropping the data packet while in the emulation mode;
and
if a determination is made that the packet is a control packet, then passing the packet to a control plane of the neighbor network device for processing.

9 more elements

A computer-readable storage medium, which is non-transitory, including instructions that upon execution cause a computer system to perform a method comprising instructions to:

switch a network device between an emulation mode and a normal operating mode, the network device including a control plane, having a controller therein, and a data plane for transmitting network packets between an input port and output ports;
in the normal operating mode, transmit first network packets through the data plane of the network device between the input port and the output ports using a first forwarding table;
in the emulation mode, transmit second network packets to the output ports using the first forwarding table and transmit the second network packets to the output ports using a second forwarding table, different than the first forwarding table;
and
monitor the second network packets passing through the data plane for emulated prefixes and forwarding the second network packets for which there is a matching emulated prefix.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/827,961Filed 30 Nov 2017
Granted: 8 Sep 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

H04L 41/0659
Using network fault recovery: by isolating or reconfiguring faulty entities
H04L 41/0663
Using network fault recovery: performing the actions predefined by failover planning, e.g. switching to standby network elements
H04L 41/0677
Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications: localisation of faults
H04L 41/145
Network analysis or design: involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network

Family

No related US applications are recorded in the indexed filing history.

Timeline

Citations

Open elsewhere

Building an agent or pulling many patents? Use the API or MCP server instead of scraping pages. Get an API key