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US 2010/0246407 A1Published application
Runtime flow debugging a network device by examining packet counters at internal points
AssigneeCisco Systems, Inc.
InventorArun Saha
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one embodiment, the internal path traversed by packets between two user visible interface, selected by a user, is displayed. The path displayed includes internal interfaces traversed by the packets. First and second count values showing the packets traversing each displayed internal interface at the beginning and end of a selected time period are also displayed. A delta, being the difference between the first and second count values for each internal interface indicates the number of packets traversing the interface during the time period and can be analyzed to determine the identity of a packet processing hardware logic block where packets might be getting dropped.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of packet processing hardware logic blocks included in a network device, with each packet processing hardware logic block including internal interfaces coupled to internal interfaces of another hardware logic block or to a user visible interface of the network device, with the network device configured so that packets ingressing at a first user visible interface and egressing from a second user visible interface always traverse a particular path of internal user interfaces and packet processing hardware logic blocks;
- a memory storing a plurality of count values, each count value indicating a total number of packets that have traversed an associated internal interface, storing path data indicating the internal interfaces and packet processing hardware logic blocks traversed by packets ingressing at a user-selected first user visible interface and egressing from a user-selected second user visible interface of the network device and storing computer executable program code;
- and
- a processing apparatus, coupled to the memory, configured to execute program code to receive identities of user-selected first and second user visible interface, to access first stored path data identifying the particular internal interfaces and packet processing hardware logic blocks that form a first path traversed by packets ingressing at the user-selected first user visible interface and egressing from the user-selected second user visible interface, to access a first set of count values associated with internal interfaces of the packet processing hardware logic blocks included in the first path, to wait a selected time interval, to access a second set of count values associated with the user visible interfaces in the first data when the time interval expires, and to display the count values in the first and second sets for each internal interface of the packet processing hardware logic blocks included in the first path.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- receiving identities of first and second user-selected user visible interfaces;
- accessing path data representing a first path traversed from the first user-selected user visible interface to the second user-selected user visible interfaces through a plurality of packet processing hardware logic blocks included in a network device, with each packet processing hardware logic block including internal interfaces coupled to internal interfaces of another hardware logic block or to a user visible interface of the network device, with the network device configured so that packets ingressing at the first user-selected user visible interface and egressing from a second user-selected user visible interface always traverse a particular path of internal user interfaces and packet processing hardware logic blocks;
- accessing a first set of count values associated with internal interfaces of the packet processing hardware logic blocks included in the first path;
- waiting a selected time interval;
- accessing a second set of count values associated with the user visible interfaces in the first data when the time interval expires;
- and
- displaying the count values in the first and second sets for each internal interface of the packet processing hardware logic blocks included in the first path.
4 more elements
One or more computer readable storage media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions and with the software operable to:
- receive identities of first and second user-selected user visible interfaces;
- access a path data representing a first path traversed from the first user-selected user visible interface to the second user-selected user visible interfaces through a plurality of packet processing hardware logic blocks included in a network device, with each packet processing hardware logic block including internal interfaces coupled to internal interfaces of another hardware logic block or to a user visible interface of the network device, with the network device configured so that packets ingressing at the first user-selected user visible interface and egressing from a second user-selected user visible interface always traverse a particular path of internal user interfaces and packet processing hardware logic blocks;
- access a first set of count values associated with internal interfaces of the packet processing hardware logic blocks included in the first path;
- wait a selected time interval;
- access a second set of count values associated with the user visible interfaces in the first data when the time interval expires;
- and
- display the count values in the first and second sets for each internal interface of the packet processing hardware logic blocks included in the first path.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.