Patent ID: 9667567
Date: 2017-05-30
CPC Classifications: H04L

Claim:
1. A relay device comprising: a plurality of line cards which communicates a frame with outside; and first and second fabric cards which relay a frame between the plurality of line cards, wherein each of the plurality of line cards includes: an external port; a frame processing unit which, when a frame is received at the external port, learns an address table and retrieves a destination of the frame based on the address table; a fabric path monitoring unit which monitors communicability between its own line card and the first and second fabric cards, and when there is abnormality in the communicability with the first fabric card, detects the abnormality and configures settings to switch a frame transmitted to the first fabric card so as to be directed to the second fabric card as a result of the detection of the abnormality within a first period; a path selection unit which selects a fabric card based on the settings of the fabric path monitoring unit and transmits a frame to the selected fabric card; a first communicability test unit of the line card which generates a test frame at every second period, transmits the generated test frame to the fabric card selected by the path selection unit through the path selection unit, the fabric card transmits the received test frame by return to the line card, and the first communicability test unit receives the test frame returned from the fabric card; and a second communicability test unit which generates a second test frame at regular intervals, transmits the second test frame to the fabric card selected by the path selection unit through the first terminal and the path selection unit, and receives the second test frame returned from the fabric card, the second period is longer than the first period, the first communicability test unit evaluates presence or absence of fault in its own line card based on a reception result for the test frame generated first and a reception result for the test frame generated second after an elapse of the second period, wherein the first communicability test unit evaluates that its own line card has no fault when the first communicability test unit cannot receive the test frame generated first within a predetermined period and can receive the test frame generated second within a predetermined period, and evaluates that its own line card has a fault when the first communicability test unit cannot receive both of the test frames generated first and second within a predetermined period, wherein the first communicability test unit is provided in the frame processing unit, the frame processing unit further includes: first and second terminals to connect the frame processing unit and the path selection unit; and an address table synchronization unit which generates a learning frame to reflect update information of its own address table on other line cards, the first terminal is a terminal which transmits a frame received at the external port of its own line card to another line card and receives a frame received at the external port of another line card and transmitted from another line card, the second terminal is a terminal which transmits the learning frame generated in its own line card and receives the learning frame generated in another line card, and the first communicability test unit transmits and receives the test frame through the second terminal, and wherein the first communicability test unit in the frame processing unit transmits and receives the test frame generated by receiving the second test frame and copying the second test frame through the second terminal, thereby evaluating presence or absence of a fault of a path running through the second terminal.