OAM and time slot control in a deterministic ARC chain topology network

摘要

In one embodiment, a network of nodes is configured to communicate according to a configuration of Available Routing Construct (ARC) chains as well as monitoring communication in the network, and/or selectively controls whether or not provisioned particular links will be used. One embodiment colors nodes of the network (e.g., a wireless deterministic network) along different paths through the network and marks packets with the color of each traversed node to track a path taken by a packet. One embodiment sends a particular packet through the network and marks over which links the packet traverses and aggregates these traversed links of other copies of the particular packet. One embodiment controls whether or not the provisioned time slots are used based on flooding a control packet through the network with enable or disable information for each of these links.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
sending a particular packet through an Available Routing Construct (ARC) chain topology deterministic network including network nodes organized into a plurality of arcs each having two edge network nodes with one or more non-edge network nodes in between said two edge network nodes, with said edge network nodes, but not said non-edge network nodes, communicatively coupling to a destination or to a next arc in the ARC chain topology deterministic network, with said sending including progressively forwarding the particular packet through different arcs of the plurality of arcs including for each current arc of the plurality of arcs: communicating the particular packet along the current arc to both of said two edge network nodes of the current arc and then from each of said two edge network nodes of the current arc to network nodes of a next current arc of the plurality of arcs towards the destination or to the destination, with said sending including communicating the particular packet through the ARC chain topology deterministic network using a plurality of time slots for sending and receiving the particular packet between network nodes of the ARC chain topology deterministic network according to the ARC chain topology deterministic network, with each of the plurality of time slots associated with a unique identifier; tracking said unique identifiers of which of the plurality of time slots are successfully or not successfully used to communicate the particular packet through the ARC chain topology deterministic network; and adjusting time slots used to communicate the particular packet through the ARC chain topology deterministic network in response to information acquired by said tracking said unique identifiers of which of the plurality of time slots are successfully or not successfully used to communicate the particular packet through the ARC chain topology deterministic network.