US 11,146,452 B2Granted

Transparent auto-negotiation of ethernet

AssigneeAccedian Networks Inc.

InventorsClaude Robitaille, Steve Rochon

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Abstract

A system for negotiating Ethernet link settings between interconnected nodes in a network having an Ethernet protocol stack that includes a PCS sub-layer with an auto-negotiation function. The system comprises connecting an intermediate device coupled between two network nodes via optical or copper interfaces, with the link settings between each node and the connected intermediate device being the same, thereby bypassing the auto-negotiation of the PCS sub-layer in the intermediate device. The intermediate device may transparently send negotiation messages from each node to the other during the link negotiation phase without interacting with those messages. Instead of the intermediate device, a single form pluggable (SFP) device may be connected between the two network nodes via optical or copper interfaces on the network side and via an SFP slot on the device side.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A system for negotiating Ethernet link settings between a first network device and a second network device, in a network, said system comprising:

an intermediate device including:
a first network interface configured to be coupled to said first network device, the first network interface including a first ethernet protocol stack including a first media access control (MAC) sub-layer, and a first physical coding sub-layer including a first auto-negotiation function;
and
a second network interface configured to be coupled to said second network device, the second network interface including a second ethernet protocol stack including a second media access (MAC) sub-layer and a second physical coding sub-layer including a second auto-negotiation function;
said intermediate device configured for passing first auto-configuration codes from said first network device to said second network device, bypassing the first auto-negotiation function in the first network interface and the second auto-negotiation function in the second network interface, until a first auto-configuration is completed in a configuration mode;
said intermediate device configured for passing first data sets from said first network device to said second network device in a data mode after the configuration mode is completed;
wherein said intermediate device is configured for passing second auto-configuration codes from said second network device to said first network device, bypassing the first auto-negotiation function in the first network interface and the second auto-negotiation function in the second network interface, until a second auto-configuration is completed in the configuration mode;
wherein said intermediate device is configured for passing second data sets from the second network device to the first network device in the data mode after the configuration mode is completed;
wherein the first network interface includes a first switch configured for passing the first auto-configuration codes from the first physical coding sub-layer to the second physical coding sub-layer, bypassing the first auto-negotiation function in the first network interface and the second auto-negotiation function in the second network interface in the configuration mode;
and
wherein the second network interface includes a second switch configured for passing the second auto-configuration codes from the second physical coding sub-layer to the first physical coding sub-layer, bypassing the second auto-negotiation function in the second network interface and the first auto-negotiation function in the first network interface in the configuration mode.

8 more elements

A method for negotiating Ethernet link settings between a first network device and a second network device, in a network, said method comprising:

coupling an intermediate device between first network device and a second network device, the intermediate device including:
a first network interface configured to be coupled to said first network device, the first network interface including a first ethernet protocol stack including a first media access control (MAC) sub-layer, and a first physical coding sub-layer including a first auto-negotiation function;
and
a second network interface configured to be coupled to said second network device, the second network interface including a second ethernet protocol stack including a second media access (MAC) sub-layer and a second physical coding sub-layer including a second auto-negotiation function;
passing first auto-configuration codes transmitted by said first device to said second network device, bypassing the first auto-negotiation function in the first network interface and the second auto-negotiation function in the second network interface, until a first auto-configuration is completed in a configuration mode;
passing first data sets from said first network device to said second network device in a data mode after the configuration mode is completed;
passing second auto-configuration codes from said second network device to said first network device, bypassing the first auto-negotiation function in the first network interface and the second auto-negotiation function in the second network interface, until a second auto-configuration is completed in the configuration mode;
and
passing second data sets from the second network device to the first network device in the data mode after the configuration mode is completed;
wherein the first network interface includes a first switch configured for passing the first auto-configuration codes from the first physical coding sub-layer to the second physical coding sub-layer, bypassing the first auto-negotiation function in the first network interface and the second auto-negotiation function in the second network interface in the configuration mode;
and
wherein the second network interface includes a second switch configured for passing the second auto-configuration codes from the second physical coding sub-layer to the first physical coding sub-layer, bypassing the second auto-negotiation function in the second network interface and the first auto-negotiation function in the first network interface in the configuration mode.

9 more elements

A system for negotiating Ethernet link settings between a first network device and a second network device, in a network, said system comprising:

an intermediate device including:
a first network interface configured to be coupled to said first network device, the first network interface including a first ethernet protocol stack including a first media access control (MAC) sub-layer, and a first physical coding sub-layer including a first auto-negotiation function;
and
a second network interface configured to be coupled to said second network device, the second network interface including a second ethernet protocol stack including a second media access (MAC) sub-layer and a second physical coding sub-layer including a second auto-negotiation function;
said intermediate device configured for passing first auto-configuration codes from said first network device to said second network device, bypassing the first auto-negotiation function in the first network interface and the second auto-negotiation function in the second network interface, until a first auto-configuration is completed in a configuration mode;
said intermediate device configured for passing first data sets from said first network device to said second network device in a data mode after the configuration mode is completed;
wherein said intermediate device is configured for passing second auto-configuration codes from said second network device to said first network device, bypassing the first auto-negotiation function in the first network interface and the second auto-negotiation function in the second network interface, until a second auto-configuration is completed in the configuration mode;
said intermediate device configured for passing second data sets from the second network device to the first network device in the data mode after the configuration mode is completed;
wherein the intermediate device includes a switch configured for passing the first auto-configuration codes from the first physical coding sub-layer to the second physical coding sub-layer, bypassing the first auto-negotiation function in the first network interface and the second auto-negotiation function in the second network interface in the configuration mode;
and configured for passing the second auto-configuration codes from the second physical coding sub-layer to the first physical coding sub-layer, bypassing the second auto-negotiation function in the second network interface and the first auto-negotiation function in the first network interface in the configuration mode.

7 more elements

A method for negotiating Ethernet link settings between a first network device and a second network device, in a network, said method comprising:

coupling an intermediate device between first network device and a second network device, the intermediate device including:
a first network interface configured to be coupled to said first network device, the first network interface including a first ethernet protocol stack including a first media access control (MAC) sub-layer, and a first physical coding sub-layer including a first auto-negotiation function;
and
a second network interface configured to be coupled to said second network device, the second network interface including a second ethernet protocol stack including a second media access (MAC) sub-layer and a second physical coding sub-layer including a second auto-negotiation function;
passing first auto-configuration codes transmitted by said first device to said second network device, bypassing the first auto-negotiation function in the first network interface and the second auto-negotiation function in the second network interface, until a first auto-configuration is completed in a configuration mode;
passing first data sets from said first network device to said second network device in a data mode after the configuration mode is completed;
wherein the intermediate device includes a switch configured for passing the first auto-configuration codes from the first physical coding sub-layer to the second physical coding sub-layer, bypassing the first auto-negotiation function in the first network interface and the second auto-negotiation function in the second network interface in the configuration mode;
and configured for passing the second auto-configuration codes from the second physical coding sub-layer to the first physical coding sub-layer, bypassing the second auto-negotiation function in the second network interface and the first auto-negotiation function in the first network interface in the configuration mode.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/785,852Filed 10 Feb 2020 · continuation
Priority: 10 Sep 2012
Published: US 2020/0259713 A113 Aug 2020
Granted: 12 Oct 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

H04L 41/0886
Aspects of the degree of configuration automation: fully automatic configuration
H04L 5/1438
Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex: negotiation of transmission parameters prior to communication
H04L 12/462
LAN interconnection over a backbone network, e.g. Internet, Frame Relay: lAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone
H04L 41/0853
Retrieval of network configuration; Tracking network configuration history: by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up…

Family

Application13/608,476Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Sep 2012
Application14/698,407Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Apr 2015
Application15/287,182Parent of this continuation · filed 6 Oct 2016
US 9,491,053 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 8 Nov 2016
Application15/613,497Parent of this continuation · filed 5 Jun 2017
US 9,699,033 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 4 Jul 2017
US 2020/0259713 A1Pre-grant publication · published 13 Aug 2020
US 10,601,663 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2014/0071855 A1Published application
US 2015/0229527 A1Published application
US 2017/0026241 A1Published application
US 2017/0272324 A1Published application
US 11,146,452 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.