Dynamic link repair from lane failure with minimal link down-time while sparing fault channels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9774389-B2
Application number	US-201514842074-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2015
Priority date	Sep 1, 2015
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

Computer program product and apparatus for repairing a communication link failure. In certain embodiments, the apparatus generally includes a controller configured to initialize the communication link for communication with another apparatus using an initial number of channels of a plurality of channels. The apparatus may also include a plurality of multiplexers configured to selectively couple a plurality of communication lanes with the plurality of channels of the communication link. In certain embodiments, during an initial state, a first lane of the plurality of lanes may be coupled with a first channel of the plurality of channels, and the plurality of channels may include a spare channel. The controller may determine whether at least one channel of the plurality of channels is experiencing a failure and control at least one of the multiplexers such that the failed channel is replaced by another channel of the plurality of channels by using the spare channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for repairing a communication link failure, comprising:
a controller configured to initialize the communication link for communication with another apparatus using an initial number of channels of a plurality of channels;
a plurality of multiplexers configured to selectively couple a plurality of communication lanes with the plurality of channels of the communication link, wherein, during an initial state, a first lane of the plurality of lanes is coupled with a first channel of the plurality of channels, wherein the plurality of channels comprises a spare channel, and wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine whether at least one channel of the plurality of channels is experiencing a failure; and
control at least one of the multiplexers such that the failed channel is replaced by another channel of the plurality of channels by using the spare channel, wherein the apparatus is configured to communicate with the other apparatus using a reduced number of channels that is less than the initial number of channels during a time period from when the failure is determined to when the failed channel is replaced by the spare channel, wherein the controller is configured to determine that the at least one channel is experiencing the failure by determining whether a number of channels used for communication via the communication link is less than the initial number of channels.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to send a link width change request to the other apparatus after the failed channel is replaced by the other channel, wherein a number of channels used for communication with the other apparatus via the communication link is returned to the initial number of channels based on the link width change request.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an electrical to optical converter configured to optically communicate information received via at least one of the plurality of lanes using at least one fiber optic cable.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine an identifier corresponding to the failed channel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the spare channel comprises a last channel of the plurality of channels.

6. A computer program product for repairing a communication link failure, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to:
communicate with another apparatus using an initial number of channels of a plurality of channels of the communication link;
selectively couple a plurality of communication lanes with the plurality of channels of the communication link, wherein, during an initial state, a first lane of the plurality of lanes is coupled with a first channel of the plurality of channels, and wherein the plurality of channels comprises a spare channel;
determine whether at least one channel of the plurality of channels is experiencing a failure;
control at least one multiplexer such that the failed channel is replaced by another channel of the plurality of channels by using the spare channel; and
communicate with the other apparatus using a reduced number of channels that is less than the initial number of channels during a time period from when the failure is determined to when the failed channel is replaced by the spare channel, wherein determining whether the at least one channel is experiencing the failure comprises determining whether a number of channels used for communication via the communication link is less than the initial number of channels.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the program instructions are executable to further cause the processor to send a link width change request to the other apparatus after the failed channel is replaced by the other channel, wherein a number of channels used for communication with the other apparatus via the communication link is returned to the initial number of channels based on the link width change request.

8. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the program instructions are executable to further cause the processor to determine an identifier corresponding to the failed channel.

9. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the spare channel comprises a last channel of the plurality of channels.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Dreps Daniel M
• Na Nanju
• Naderi Kaveh
• Smith James E

Classifications

• H04Q11/0071

  Provisions for the electrical-optical layer interface · CPC title

• H04L41/0668 Primary

  by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure · CPC title

• H04Q2011/0081

  Fault tolerance; Redundancy; Recovery; Reconfigurability · CPC title

• H04L12/40182 Primary

  by using a plurality of communication lines · CPC title

• H04Q11/00

  Selecting arrangements for multiplex systems (multiplex systems H04J) · CPC title