Patent ID: 7924725
Filing Date: 2011-04-12
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of monitoring performance on an Ethernet network, the Ethernet network having a plurality of network elements handling flows of data traffic on the Ethernet network, the method comprising the steps of: defining maintenance entities between flow points on the Ethernet network, the flow points being located at any desired locations within the Ethernet network; transmitting flows of Ethernet Operation, Administration, and Management (OAM) frames on the maintenance entities, the flows of Ethernet OAM frames being intermixed with the data traffic on the network between the flow points on the Ethernet network, each maintenance entity extending between at least two flow points such that a flow of Ethernet OAM frames will be inserted into a data path extending across the Ethernet network at one of the flow points associated with the maintenance entity, and extracted from the Ethernet network by at least a second of the flow points associated with the maintenance entity; and measuring network performance parameters from the flows of extracted Ethernet OAM frames, at least one of the measured network performance parameters being directly related to performance of data traffic on the data path between the flow points on the Ethernet network; wherein the Ethernet OAM frames each have an Ethernet OAM frame header, the Ethernet OAM frame header including at least an Ethernet OAM MAC source address, an Ethernet OAM MAC destination address (DA), and an Ethernet OAM flow ID field; and wherein the Ethernet OAM flow ID field contains one of a plurality of values to enable network elements on the network to filter the Ethernet OAM frames so that the Ethernet OAM frames can be selectively transmitted or filtered at a network administrative boundary or at an OAM domain boundary.