Methods and arrangements to detect a failure in a communication network

An apparatus to detect failure of a network adapter of bundled adapters, the apparatus comprising:

• a timing module to define a time interval;
• an activity monitor to determine a communication activity level of a network adapter during the time interval and to monitor activity of the network adapter responsive to at least one test packet, wherein the bundled adapters operate in parallel via a load-sharing arrangement of a driver;
• an activity comparator to compare the determined communication activity level to a predetermined activity level, to identify the network adapter as a suspect adapter if the determined activity is less than the predetermined activity level;
• a traffic generator to transmit at least one test packet to the suspect adapter, the activity monitor to monitor activity in response to the transmission of the at least one test packet;
• and
• a flagger to flag the suspect adapter as a failed adapter if the monitored activity is less than a projected activity associated with the at least one test packet.

An apparatus configured to detect failures, the apparatus comprising:

• a traffic generator adapted to generate at least one packet to initiate a data transmission routed via a communication component of a bundle of components, wherein the bundle of components is configured to share data transmission activity related to at least one network address;
• an activity monitor to detect a monitored activity level of the communication component responsive to the at least one packet;
• and
• an activity comparator to compare the monitored activity level against a predetermined activity level to determine whether to identify the communication component as a failed component.

A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium storing a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

• route data to a communication component that shares at least one Internet protocol address with other communication components of the bundle, wherein routing the data should activate at least a portion of the communication component;
• monitor at least the portion of the communication component to determine a monitored activity level responsive to the communication;
• compare the monitored activity level to a predetermined activity level;
• and
• identify the communication component as a failed component if the monitored activity level is less than a predetermined activity level.