# US 9,998,213 B2 · Network tap with battery-assisted and programmable failover > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,998,213 B2 - Document ID: US9998213B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/355,013 - Filed: 2016-11-17 - Published: 2018-02-01 - Granted: 2018-06-12 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-29 - Assignees: Keysight Technologies Singapore (Holdings) Pte. Ltd. - Applicants: Ixia - Inventors: Randy Fung; Marcel Felix Desdier; Ky Hong Le - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9998213B2 ## CPC - H04B 10/032: using working and protection systems {(H04J14/0287 takes precedence)} - H04B 10/075: using an in-service signal (H04B10/071 takes precedence) - H04B 10/25891: {Transmission components (H04B10/40 takes precedence)} - H04B 10/40: Transceivers - H04Q 11/0071: {Provisions for the electrical-optical layer interface} - H04Q 2011/0081: {Fault tolerance; Redundancy; Recovery; Reconfigurability} - H04Q 2213/13217: Cranckback in routing, trombone connection, loopback circuit - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04Q: SELECTING (switches, relays, selectors H01H; wireless communication networks H04W) ## Abstract A network tap with battery assisted and programmable failover is disclosed. The network tap includes a processing element, at least one optical-electrical transceiver, and at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module. A backup battery provides power to the optical-electrical transceiver(s) and the multiplexer/demultiplexer module(s) but not the processing element when operating in a failover mode. The network tap is programmable to operate in a fail open mode in which traffic received from the network passes through the network tap during failover or a fail closed mode in which traffic receive from the network is blocked during failover. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A network tap comprising: a processing element; at least one optical-electrical transceiver for receiving an optical signal from a network and for converting the optical signal into an electrical signal; at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module coupled to the at least one optical-electrical transceiver for operating in a first mode when the network tap is externally powered, wherein, when operating in the first mode, the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module provides the electrical signal to the processing element, which performs a network monitoring task for the electrical signal, wherein the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module is configured to operate in a second mode comprising a fail open mode when the network tap is not externally powered wherein, when operating in the second mode, the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module ceases providing the electrical signal to the processing element and implements a loopback operation for the electrical signal, wherein the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module comprises a multiplexer/demultiplexer module located on a single chip and wherein implementing the loopback operation includes looping the electrical signal from an input port of the multiplexer/demultiplexer module to an output port of the multiplexer/demultiplexer module; and a power source internal to the network tap for providing temporary power to optical-electrical transceiver and the multiplexer/demultiplexer module for operating in the second mode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The network tap of claim 1 the at least one optical-electrical transceiver comprises at least one small form factor pluggable (SFP) transceiver. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The network tap of claim 2 wherein the at least one SFP transceiver comprises at least one SFP+ transceiver. ### Claim 4 A network tap comprising: a processing element; at least one optical-electrical transceiver for receiving an optical signal from a network and for converting the optical signal into an electrical signal; at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module coupled to the at least one optical-electrical transceiver for operating in a first mode when the network tap is externally powered, wherein, when operating in the first mode, the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module provides the electrical signal to the processing element, which performs a network monitoring task for the electrical signal, wherein the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module is configured to operate in a second mode comprising a fail open mode when the network tap is not externally powered wherein, when operating in the second mode, the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module ceases providing the electrical signal to the processing element and implements a loopback operation for the electrical signal, wherein the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module comprises a first multiplexer/demultiplexer module located on a first chip and a second multiplexer/demultiplexer module located on a second chip separate from the first chip, and wherein implementing the loopback operation includes looping the electrical signal from the first multiplexer/demultiplexer module to the second multiplexer/demultiplexer module. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The network tap of claim 1 wherein the power source does not power the processing element. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The network tap of claim 1 wherein the processing element monitors network traffic carried by the electrical signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The network tap of claim 1 wherein the power source comprises a battery. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The network tap of claim 1 wherein the optical signal comprises a ten gigabit Ethernet signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The network tap of claim 1 wherein the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module is programmable to operate in the second mode or in a third mode when the network tap is not externally powered, wherein operating in the third mode includes a fail closed mode in which the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module blocks traffic to or from the network from flowing through the network tap. ### Claim 10 A network tap comprising: a processing element; at least one optical-electrical transceiver for receiving an optical signal from a network and for converting the optical signal into an electrical signal; at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module coupled to the at least one optical-electrical transceiver for operating in a first mode when the network tap is externally powered, wherein, when operating in the first mode, the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module provides the electrical signal to the processing element, which performs a network monitoring task for the electrical signal; and a multiplexer/demultiplexer controller coupled to the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module, wherein the multiplexer/demultiplexer controller is programmable to control the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module to operate in a second mode comprising a fail open mode or a third mode comprising a fail closed mode when the network tap is not externally powered wherein, when operating in the second mode, the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module ceases providing the electrical signal to the processing element and implements a loopback operation for the electrical signal and wherein, when operating in the third mode, the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module blocks traffic to or from the network from flowing through the network tap, wherein the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module comprises a multiplexer/demultiplexer module located on a single chip and wherein implementing the loopback operation comprises looping the electrical signal from an input port of the multiplexer/demultiplexer module to an output port of the multiplexer/demultiplexer module. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The network tap of claim 10 the at least one optical-electrical transceiver comprises at least one small form factor pluggable (SFP) transceiver. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The network tap of claim 11 wherein the at least one SFP transceiver comprises at least one SFP+ transceiver. ### Claim 13 A network tap comprising: a processing element; at least one optical-electrical transceiver for receiving an optical signal from a network and for converting the optical signal into an electrical signal; at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module coupled to the at least one optical-electrical transceiver for operating in a first mode when the network tap is externally powered, wherein, when operating in the first mode, the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module provides the electrical signal to the processing element, which performs a network monitoring task for the electrical signal; and a multiplexer/demultiplexer controller coupled to the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module, wherein the multiplexer/demultiplexer controller is programmable to control the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module to operate in a second mode comprising a fail open mode or a third mode comprising a fail closed mode when the network tap is not externally powered wherein, when operating in the second mode, the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module ceases providing the electrical signal to the processing element and implements a loopback operation for the electrical signal and wherein, when operating in the third mode, the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module blocks traffic to or from the network from flowing through the network tap, wherein the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module comprises a first multiplexer/demultiplexer module located on a first chip and a second multiplexer/demultiplexer module located on a second chip separate from the first chip and wherein implementing the loopback operation comprises looping the electrical signal from the first multiplexer/demultiplexer module to the second multiplexer/demultiplexer module. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The network tap of claim 10 comprising a power source for powering the at least one optical-electrical transceiver, the at least one multiplexer/demultiplexer module and the multiplexer/demultiplexer controller when operating in the second or the third mode. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The network tap of claim 14 wherein the power source does not power the processing element. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The network tap of claim 14 wherein the power source comprises a battery. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The network tap of claim 10 wherein the processing element monitors network traffic carried by the electrical signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The network tap of claim 10 wherein the optical signal comprises a ten gigabit Ethernet signal.