Patent · US Expired

System and method for performing non-disruptive diagnostics through a frame relay circuit

US5898674A · kind A · utility

90Cited by
4References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 7, 1997
Grant dateApr 27, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 7, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L2012/5672
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system and method are provided for providing non-disruptive diagnostics between a first device and a second device in communication through a virtual circuit of a frame relay network. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the method defines a diagnostic channel by assigning it a unique channel address, transmits a test command from the first device to the second device across the unique channel address, monitors the unique channel address for a response to the test command, and then evaluates the response to determine whether it reflects a fault in the virtual circuit. In accordance with one embodiment, the test command could be a pattern message, a connectivity request, a start send pattern command, a start loopback command, a start monitor pattern command, and a start send pattern command. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a number of differing test commands, patterns, and sequences could be employed, consistent with the concepts and teachings of the present invention, which provides for such testing to be conducted over a dedicated logical channel and, therefore, non-disruptively of the other data and channels multiplexed in the single virtual circu…

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