CAPTURE RCDT AND SNTT SAS SPEED NEGOTIATION DECODES IN A NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC COMPONENT

Abstract

Systems and methods for a network diagnostic device or component that is placed in-line between two nodes in a network to capture the value of a component of a speed negotiation signal. The network diagnostic component receives a speed negotiation signal from a first node for communication with a second node. The speed negotiation signal may be received by a receive module. The speed negotiation signal includes one at least a first portion that comprises one or more data units. The network diagnostic component measures the duration of the data units of the first component of the speed negotiation data. This measurement may be performed by a measurement module. The network diagnostic component compares the measured duration with a desired duration. The comparison may be performed by a measurement module. A record of whether the measured duration compares with the desired duration is then generated by a generation module.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To further clarify the above and other advantages and features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a network including a network diagnostic component placed in-line between two nodes;

FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed view of a particular embodiment of the network diagnostic component of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 illustrates a method for a network diagnostic component placed in-line between two nodes to capture the duration of a component of a speed negotiation signal.

Claims

1. A method for one or more hardware modules of a network diagnostic component that is placed in-line between first and second nodes in a network to compare in real time the duration of a portion of a speed negotiation signal with a desired duration, the method comprising: an act of receiving a speed negotiation signal from the first node for communication with the second node, wherein the speed negotiation signal includes at least a first component comprising one or more data units;an act of measuring the duration of the one or more data units of the first component of the speed negotiation signal;an act of comparing the measured duration of the one or more data units with a desired duration; andan act of generating a record that specifies whether the measured duration of the one or more data units compare with the desired duration.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising: an act of affixing a timestamp to the generated record.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2, further comprising: an act of displaying the generated record on a display device.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the network diagnostic component is a SAS network diagnostic component that supports the SAS protocol.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the speed negotiation signal includes a second component comprising one or more data units, the method further comprising: an act of measuring the duration of the one or more data units of the second component of the speed negotiation signal,an act of comparing the measured duration of the one or more data units of the second component with a second desired duration; andan act of generating a record that specifies whether the measured duration of the one or more data units of the second component compare with the second desired duration.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the second component is one of speed negotiation data or D.C. idle.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first component is one of speed negotiation data or D.C. idle.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the speed negotiation signal is of the SAS protocol.

9. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of measuring the duration of the data units comprises: an act of counting the data units with a counter; andan act of calculating the total time of the counted data units based on a known time value.

10. A network diagnostic device placed in-line between first and second nodes in a network comprising: a first module configured to receive a speed negotiation signal from the first node for communication with the second node, wherein the speed negotiation signal includes at least a first component comprising one or more data units;a second module configured to measure the duration of the one or more data units of the first portion of the speed negotiation signal;a third module configured to compare the measured duration of the one or more data units with a desired duration; anda fourth module configured to generate a record that specifies whether the measured duration of the one or more data units compare with the desired duration.

11. The network diagnostic device in accordance with claim 10, further comprising: a fifth module that is configured to generate a timestamp and affix the timestamp to the generated record.

12. The network diagnostic device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the first module is a speed negotiation state machine.

13. The network diagnostic device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the second module is one of a RCDT or a SNTT counter.

14. The network diagnostic device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the network diagnostic device is a SAS network diagnostic component that supports the SAS protocol.

15. The network diagnostic device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the first component is one of speed negotiation data or D.C. idle.

16. The network diagnostic device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the network diagnostic device is one of a bit error rate tester, a protocol analyzer, a generator, a jammer, and a monitor.

17. The network diagnostic device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the speed negotiation signal further includes a second component comprising one or more data units, the network diagnostic device further comprising: a fifth module configured to measure the duration of the one or more data units of the second portion of the speed negotiation signal; andwherein the third module is further configured to compare the measured duration of the one or more data units of the second component with a second desired duration and wherein the fourth module is further configured to generate a record that specifies whether the measured duration of the one or more data units of the second component compare with the second desired duration.

18. The network diagnostic device in accordance with claim 17, wherein the fifth module is one of a RCDT or a SNTT counter.

19. The network diagnostic device in accordance with claim 11, wherein the second component is one of speed negotiation data or D.C. idle.

20. A diagnostic network comprising: a first SAS node;a second SAS node;a SAS diagnostic device placed in-line between the first and second SAS nodes comprising: a first module configured to receive a speed negotiation signal, wherein the speed negotiation signal includes at least a first component comprising one or more data units;a second module configured to determine the duration of the one or more data units of the first component of the speed negotiation signal;a third module configured to compare the duration of the one or more data units with a desired duration; anda fourth module configured to generate a record that specifies whether the duration of the one or more data units compares with the desired duration.

21. The diagnostic network in accordance with claim 20, wherein the first component is one of speed negotiation data or D.C. idle.