Development of Solutions for Combating Silent Failure in IP Networks by DOCOMO and Fujitsu
In an IP network silent failure occurs when a router fails and as a result of this data transmission is stopped all without the network administrator being notified. This phenomenon is due to the fact that routers are not capable of detecting their own internal failures. The current solution to overcome this issue is for network operators to install dedicated monitoring devices capable of detecting silent failures through continually transmitting test data throughout the entire network and analyzing the test result, a rather time consuming process indeed. Based on this need, DoCoMo and Fujitsu have jointly developed two new technologies capable of detecting and locating “silent failures” within IP networks with greater speed and accuracy than currently available methods. One of these newly developed technologies is responsible for analyzing not only the test transmitted data but also analyzing such information as loss rate and network delays which would results in faster detection of silent failure. It is also capable of detecting warning signs of silent failures that would possibly about to occur.
The second technology is capable of identifying the location of silent failures through analyzing data only over the routes where data is actually being transmitted. The new technologies have proven to be 80% more effective in comparison to the currently available solutions through trials that has been conducted on DoCoMo’s existing FOMA™ 3G networks. The new technologies will support the eventual launch of super high speed Long Term Evolution (LTE) services over DoCoMo’s emerging IP-based mobile network.
source
