DIAGNOSIS METHOD AND DIAGNOSTIC DEVICE FOR A NETWORK

Abstract

A diagnosis method and a diagnostic device for a network are disclosed. The network includes at least one network device. The network device is connected to the network. The network device has an operating hours counter, which outputs a time information relating to an operating time. The network device is re-connected to the network following a connection failure with the network at a connection failure instant. The method includes determining an operating time of an operating hours counter configured in a network device of the network to output a time information relating to the operating time, determining a connection failure time of the network device to the network at a connection failure instant until connection to the network is established and determining a reason for the connection failure using a comparison between the operating time and the connection failure time.

Claims

1. A diagnosis method for a network, comprising: determining an operating time of an operating hours counter configured in a network device of the network to output a time information relating to the operating time; determining a connection failure time of the network device to the network at a connection failure instant until connection to the network is established; and determining a reason for the connection failure using a comparison between the operating time and the connection failure time.

2. The diagnosis method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a query time of the operating hours counter; determining the connection failure instant; and determining a first differential value as the connection failure time by forming a difference between the query time of the operating hours counter and the connection failure instant.

3. The diagnosis method of claim 1, further comprising: rating the comparison with a diagnosis value TRUE, if the operating time is less than or equal to the connection failure time; and rating the comparison with a diagnosis value FALSE, if the operating time is greater than the connection failure time.

4. The diagnosis method of claim 3, wherein the reason for the connection failure is the network device in the presence of the diagnosis value TRUE.

5. The diagnosis method of claim 4, wherein the reason for the connection failure is a restart of the network device and/or a power failure of the network device.

6. The diagnosis method of claim 3, wherein the reason for the connection failure is a network error in the presence of the diagnosis value FALSE.

7. The diagnosis method claim 2, wherein the comparison is formed by determining a second differential value.

8. The diagnosis method of claim 7, wherein the second differential value is determined by subtracting the operating time from the first differential value.

9. The diagnosis method of claim 8, wherein the reason for the connection failure is the network device in the presence of a zero value or when the second differential value is negative.

10. The diagnosis method of claim 9, wherein the reason for the connection failure is a restart of the network device and/or a power failure of the network device.

11. The diagnosis method of claim 8, wherein the reason for the connection failure is a network error when the second differential value is positive.

12. The diagnosis method of claim 2, wherein the query time of the operating hours counter is a current time of the network device reporting an error.

13. The diagnosis method of claim 12, further comprising signaling the connection failure time over the network device reporting the error.

14. A diagnostic device for a network which includes at least one network device connected to the network and having an operating hours counter to output a time information relating to an operating time, said diagnostic device configured to: determine an operating time of an operating hours counter configured in a network device of the network to output a time information relating to the operating time; determine a connection failure time of the network device to the network at a connection failure instant until connection to the network is established; and determine a reason for the connection failure using a comparison between the operating time and the connection failure time.

15. The diagnostic device of claim 14, wherein the connection failure time is determined by determining a query time of the operating hours counter, determining a connection failure instant, and determining a first differential value as the connection failure time by forming a difference between the query time of the operating hours counter and the connection failure instant.

16. The diagnostic device of claim 15, wherein the comparison is rated with a diagnosis value TRUE, if the operating time is less than or equal to the first differential value, and the comparison is rated with a diagnosis value FALSE, if the operating time is greater than the first differential value.

17. The diagnostic device of claim 16, wherein the reason for the connection failure is the network device in the presence of the diagnosis value TRUE, and the reason for the connection failure is a network error in the presence of the diagnosis value FALSE.

18. The diagnostic device of claim 15, wherein the comparison is formed as a second differential value determined by subtracting the operating time from the first differential value.

19. The diagnostic device of claim 18, wherein the reason for the connection failure is the network device in the presence of a zero value or when the second differential value is negative, and the reason for the connection failure is a network error when the second differential value is positive.

20. The diagnostic device of claim 15, wherein the query time of the operating hours counter is a current time of the network device reporting an error.

21. The diagnostic device of claim 20, wherein the connection failure time is signaled over the network device reporting the error.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0022] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent upon reading the following description of currently preferred exemplified embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which the sole FIG. 1 schematically shows a flow diagram for executing a diagnosis method in an diagnostic device in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] The depicted embodiment is to be understood as illustrative of the invention and not as limiting in any way. It should also be understood that the figure may not necessarily be to scale. In certain instances, details which are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted.

[0024] Faults, such as network errors or network device failure, are reported by an interruption in communication. Previously the cause has been determined by a manual visual inspection of the cabling or by a manual device-specific inspection of the devices.

[0025] According to the invention this problem is now solved by a restart analysis of the network device. Once the network device is available again in terms of communications, i.e. is visible in the network, the operating hours counter of the network device is checked and operating time of the operating hours counter and the connection failure time determined. Here the connection failure time is the difference from the query time of the operating hours counter less the connection failure instant. These values can be determined, e.g. by way of standard mechanisms having the network management protocol, such as SNMP, Simple Network Management Protocol according to RFC 1157 and RFC 3410.

[0026] The operating time of the operating hours counter can be determined for example by “SysUpTime” of RFC 1213. Here various RFCs define various MIB modules. Here a Management Information Base is a description containing the definitions of management information which can be used to remotely monitor, configure and control a device connected to a network.

[0027] The query time of the operating hours counter is the current time of the network device reporting the error. The network device can also be a software tool.

[0028] The connection failure instant i.e. the down-time of the network device, is signaled by the device reporting the error or software tool.

[0029] A query is then started: [0030] If the “operating time” is greater than the “connection failure time”, the cause of failure is a network error. [0031] If the “operating time” is less than or equal to the “down-time of the device”, the cause of failure is a network device restart/network device failure or a power failure of the network device.

[0032] FIG. 1 accordingly gives the fault 1 from a network device to the network, i.e. the network device is no longer visible in the network. After determining the operating time and the connection failure time by way of the connection failure instant and the query time of the operating hours counter, a comparison 2 is then carried out and a diagnosis value determined. If the diagnosis value is TRUE 3, it can be identified e.g. by “1”. A device restart or a power failure 4 on the device can therefore be responsible for the fault 1. With a diagnosis value FALSE 5, a network error 6 would be responsible. Here the diagnosis value FALSE 5 can also be identified by a “0”. The diagnosis method described above can be arranged in a diagnostic device 10.

[0033] A clear example shall be given below.

[0034] A network device fails at 12:00 o'clock and is subsequently available again. At 12:15 the operating time of “10 min” is determined. The connection failure instant is 12:00 o'clock. The query time of the operating hours counter is 12:15 on the other hand.

[0035] The comparison

[0036] operating time<(query time of the operating hours counter—connection failure time)

[0037] is then carried out: here

[0038] 10 min<12:15 o'clock−12:00 o'clock?

[0039] 10 min<15 min

[0040] and a diagnosis value of “TRUE 3” determined.

[0041] This shows that the cause of the fault 1 is a device restart or power failure 4 on the device.

[0042] Existing information that is easy to determine can be used as a result of this algorithm to enable improved diagnosis in e.g. Ethernet-based networks to IEEE802.

[0043] While the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with currently preferred embodiments shown and described in detail, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and practical application to thereby enable a person skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

[0044] What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims and includes equivalents of the elements recited therein: