LAYER-3 PERFORMANCE MONITORING SECTIONALIZATION

摘要

A method is disclosed for the collection of performance metrics by establishing service operations administration and maintenance (OAM) sessions between an actuator and a plurality of reflectors in a communication network. Test packets from an actuator simultaneously reach a plurality of reflectors along a test path. Each single test packet results into a plurality of test results, one per reflector, with quasi-synchronous performance metrics to sectionalize a network and more efficiently isolate fault or performance problems without the need for additional test packets to isolate the issue. Another method is disclosed wherein an actuator generates and transmits a plurality of simultaneous test packets, one per NID device, resulting into a plurality of test results, one per reflector, with quasi-synchronous performance metrics to sectionalize a network and more efficiently isolate fault or performance problems without the need for additional test packets to isolate the issue.

主权项

1. A method of establishing service operations administration and maintenance (OAM) sessions between an actuator and a plurality of reflectors in a communication network, the method comprising:
continuously monitoring, by one or more of the reflectors, any test packets transmitted by the actuator; transmitting by the actuator a test packet to a first of the reflectors; forwarding, by a first reflector, the test packet to a second reflector downstream along a test path with respect to the first reflector; generating, by each of the first and second reflectors, a test reply to the actuator, each of the test replies generated back to the actuator incorporating a unique reflector identifier; and using the test replies to sectionalize the communication network to isolate faults and performance problems.