Patent · US Expired

Low overhead method for detecting communication failures on a network

US5870540A · kind A · utility

31Cited by
3References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 20, 1995
Grant dateFeb 9, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 20, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L43/103
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for detecting communication failures on a network comprising a server computer connected to multiple client computers, said server and client computers communicating through the transmission of data packets via the network. The method includes the step of periodically sending an echo request message from the server computer to the client computers. Each client computer, following receipt of the echo request message, sends an echo reply message back to the server computer. The method further includes the steps of monitoring the rate at which data packets are received by the server computer; and reducing the frequency at which echo request messages are sent from the server computer to the client computers during periods when the rate at which data packets are received by the server computer exceeds a re-configurable rate value. The frequency at which the echo request messages are sent is dependent upon the rate at which data packets are received by said server computer.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.