Re: [EFM] OAM loop back / echo server function
Geoff,
I am trying to find way to provide some lower level remote trouble
shooting functionality. Do you have a suggestion for an alternative that
does not involve traffic that will go through the 802.1/802.2 level?
Thank you,
Roy Bynum
At 05:08 PM 9/4/01 -0700, Geoff Thompson wrote:
>Roy-
>
>
>At 06:05 PM 9/4/01 -0500, Roy Bynum wrote:
>>Geoff,
>>
>>Would a MAC Control frame with a specific opcode be usable as an L2
>>ping. This would take the frame all the way to the MAC control layer,
>>through all of the PHY and RS.
>
>This function "could" be added to MAC control.
>It is not clear that there would be any special reason to do so.
>You would have to make a convincing case that there was some special
>advantage to doing this vs. using an existing, well known protocol.
>According to my file copy of RFC 1060 (very old version of Assigned
>Numbers) decimal 36864 (9000 Hex) packet type is assigned to Loopback.
>
>It is not clear to me that restricting the path of a Loopback/Echo/Ping to
>just the [MAC Control][MAC][RS][PHY][Medium][PHY][RS][MAC][MAC Control]
>would be any advantage. After all, the person machine that wants to do the
>test would have to open a communications path to the testing [MAC
>Control/OA&M] anyway.
>
>
>>There could also be a command within the OAM functionality that would
>>generate a special MAC Control frame that would have an opcode that would
>>specify a test pattern in the "parameters" field of the frame. This
>>could potentially provide a very valuable remote trouble shooting tool
>>for service providers.
>>
>>Roy Bynum
>>WorldCom
>
>Geoff
>
>
>>At 03:02 PM 9/4/01 -0700, Geoff Thompson wrote:
>>
>>>Fletcher-
>>>
>>>I don't think this is a stupid question.
>>>I don't think we need an IP level PING
>>>A L2 ping would do, perhaps even better, the demarc would look for PING
>>>type and then just swap SA & DA.
>>>My expectation is that the demarcation device will need a MAC address
>>>My expectation is that the demarcation device will probably end up with
>>>an IP address in order to support:
>>> SNMP for OA&M
>>> Firewall services for the subscriber
>>>
>>>(That issue is, of course, beyond our scope)
>>>
>>>Geoff
>>>
>>>At 03:47 PM 9/4/01 -0400, Fletcher E Kittredge wrote:
>>>>On Fri, 31 Aug 2001 14:11:54 -0700 "Geoff Thompson" wrote:
>>>> > As I have said before, I do believe that we will need a demarcation
>>>> device
>>>> > that has the capability to host OA&M functions.
>>>> > We have talked about "loop back" from this point in the network.
>>>> > Let us forevermore make that "PING"
>>>>
>>>>Geoff;
>>>>
>>>> Apologies if this is a stupid question, but does PING in this
>>>>context mean the utility that sends an IP ICMP ECHO REQUEST packet and
>>>>listens for an ECHO REPLY packet? If so, am I correct in thinking this
>>>>means the demarcation device would require an IP address?
>>>>
>>>>thanks!
>>>>fletcher