Re: [EFM] OAM loop back / echo server function

["Geoff Thompson" <gthompso@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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