. For example, the network interface 38 may be in communication with the NEs of the MA 12 for adding a security layer to CFM operation. The NMS 30 also includes a safety mode enhancement 42, which may be implemented in software or firmware in the memory device 34 and/or implemented in hardware in the processing device 32. In some embodiments, the safety mode enhancement 42 may operation in conjunction with compatible elements in the NEs for enhancing the CFM protocol.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a NE 50 for enabling enhancements to the CFM protocol within the network 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the NE 50 may be a digital computing device that generally includes a processing device 52, a memory device 54, Input/Output (I/O) interfaces 56, a network interface 58, an active database 60, and an isolated database 62, each interconnected with each other via a local interface 64. The NE 50 also includes a safety mode enhancement 66, which may be implemented in software or firmware in the memory device 54 and/or implemented in hardware in the processing device 52 and may operate with the safety mode enhancement 42 of the NMS 30, according to various embodiments.

It should be appreciated that FIGS. 3 and 4 depict the NMS 30 and NE 40, respectively, in a simplified manner, where some embodiments may include additional components and suitably configured processing logic to support known or conventional operating features. The components of each device may be communicatively coupled via the respective local interface 40, 64. Each local interface 40, 64 may include, for example, one or more buses or other wired or wireless connections. The local interfaces 40, 64 may also include controllers, buffers, caches, drivers, repeaters, receivers, among other elements, to enable communication. Further, the local interfaces 40, 64 may include address, control, and/or data connections to enable appropriate communications among the respective components.

It should be appreciated that the processing devices 32, 52, according to some embodiments, may include or utilize one or more generic or specialized processors (e.g., microprocessors, CPUs, Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), Network Processors (NPs), Network Processing Units (NPUs), Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), semiconductor-based devices, chips, and the like). The processing devices 32, 52 may also include or utilize stored program instructions (e.g., stored in hardware, software, and/or firmware) for control of the NMS 30 and NE 50, respectively, by executing the program instructions to implement some or all of the functions of the systems and methods described herein. Alternatively, some or all functions may be implemented by a state machine that may not necessarily include stored program instructions, may be implemented in one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), and/or may include functions that can be implemented as custom logic or circuitry. Of course, a combination of the aforementioned approaches may be used. For some of the embodiments described herein, a corresponding device in hardware (and optionally with software, firmware, and combinations thereof) can be referred to as “circuitry” or “logic” that is “configured to” or “adapted to” perform a set of operations, steps, methods, processes, algorithms, functions, techniques, etc., on digital and/or analog signals as described herein with respect to various embodiments.

The memory devices 34, 54 may each include volatile memory elements (e.g., Random Access Memory (RAM), Dynamic RAM (DRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), Static RAM (SRAM), and the like), nonvolatile memory elements (e.g., Read Only Memory (ROM), Programmable ROM (PROM), Erasable PROM (EPROM), Electrically-Erasable PROM (EEPROM), hard drive, tape, Compact Disc ROM (CD-ROM), and the like), or combinations thereof. Moreover, the memory devices 34, 54 may incorporate electronic, magnetic, optical, and/or other types of storage media. The memory devices 34, 54 may have a distributed architecture, where various components are situated remotely from one another, but can be accessed by the respective processing devices 32, 52.

The memory devices 34, 54 may each include a data store, database, or the like, for storing data. In one example, the data store may be located internal to the NMS 30 or NE 50 and may include, for example, an internal hard drive connected to the respective local interfaces 40, 64. Additionally, in another embodiment, the data store may be located external to the NMS 30 or NE 50 and may include, for example, an external hard drive connected to the Input/Output (I/O) interfaces 36, 56, respectively (e.g., SCSI or USB connection). In a further embodiment, the data store may be connected to the NMS 30 or NE 50 through a network and may include, for example, a network attached file server.

Software stored in the memory devices 34, 54 may include one or more programs, each of which may include an ordered listing of executable instructions for implementing logical functions. The software in each of the memory devices 34, 54 may also include a suitable Operating System (O/S) and one or more computer programs. The O/S essentially controls the execution of other computer programs, and provides scheduling, input/output control, file and data management, memory management, and communication control and related services. The computer programs may be configured to implement the various processes, algorithms, methods, techniques, etc. described herein.

Moreover, some embodiments may include non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon for programming or enabling a computer, server, processor (e.g., processing devices 32, 52), circuit, appliance, device, etc. to perform functions as described herein. Examples of such non-transitory computer-readable medium may include a hard disk, an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, a ROM, a PROM, an EPROM, an EEPROM, Flash memory, and the like. When stored in the non-transitory computer-readable medium, software can include instructions executable (e.g., by the processing device 32, 52 or other suitable circuitry or logic). For example, when executed, the instructions may cause or enable the processing device 32, 52 to perform a set of operations, steps, methods, processes, algorithms, functions, techniques, etc. as described herein according to various embodiments.

The methods, sequences, steps, techniques, and/or algorithms described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in software/firmware modules executed by a processor (e.g., processing device 32, 52), or any suitable combination thereof. Software/firmware modules may reside in the memory device 34, 54, memory controllers, Double Data Rate (DDR) memory, RAM, flash memory, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, registers, hard disks, removable disks, CD-ROMs, or any other suitable storage medium.

Those skilled in the pertinent art will appreciate that various embodiments may be described in terms of logical blocks, modules, circuits, algorithms, steps, and sequences of actions, which may be performed or otherwise controlled with a general purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA, programmable logic devices, discrete gates, transistor logic, discrete hardware components, elements associated with a computing device, controller, state machine, or any suitable combination thereof designed to perform or otherwise control the functions described herein.

The I/O interfaces 36, 56 may be used to receive user input from and/or for providing system output to one or more devices or components. For example, user input may be received via one or more of a keyboard, a keypad, a touchpad, a mouse, and/or other input receiving devices. System outputs may be provided via a display device, monitor, User Interface (UI), Graphical User Interface (GUI), a printer, and/or other user output devices. I/O interfaces 36, 56 may include, for example, one or more of a serial port, a parallel port, a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), an Internet SCSI (iSCSI), an Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA), a Serial ATA (SATA), a fiber channel, InfiniBand, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), a PCI extended interface (PCI-X), a PCI Express interface (PCIe), an InfraRed (IR) interface, a Radio Frequency (RF) interface, and a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.

The network interfaces 38 and 58 may be used to enable the NMS 30 and NE 50, respectively, to communicate over a network, such as the network 10, the Internet, a Wide Area Network (WAN), a Local Area Network (LAN), and the like. The network interfaces 38, 58 may each include, for example, an Ethernet card or adapter (e.g., 10BaseT, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, 10 GbE) or a Wireless LAN (WLAN) card or adapter (e.g., 802.11a/b/g/n/ac). The network interface 38, 58 may each include address, control, and/or data connections to enable appropriate communications on the network 10.

Therefore, according to the various embodiments of the present disclosure, a system may include a processing device 32, 52, an isolated database 62, and a memory device 34, 54 configured to store a computer program (e.g., safety mode enhancements 42, 66). For example, the computer program may include instructions that, when executed, enable the processing device 32, 52 to operate a NE (e.g., NE 50, Node A, Node C, etc.) in a safety mode associated with a link connectivity protocol that involves receiving one or more messages used for detecting link connectivity issues of an Ethernet service in a section of a network and responding to the link connectivity issues. In response to receiving the one or more messages used for detecting link connectivity issues while operating the NE in the safety mode, the instructions may further enable the processing device 32, 52 to store the one or more messages as one or more “untrusted” messages in the isolated database 62 without processing information in the one or more untrusted messages.

Accordingly, the link connectivity protocol mentioned above, for example, may be the Connectivity Fault Management (CFM) protocol defined in IEEE 802.1Q. Also, the one or more messages, for example, may be one or more Continuity Check Messages (CCMs). Also, the section of the network, for example, may be a Maintenance Association (MA), such as MA 12, and the NE 50 may be a Maintenance-association End Point (MEP).

Furthermore, this system may further include an active database (e.g., active database 60) that is separate from the isolated database 62. For example, the active database 60 may be associated with an action triggering mode. In response to receiving the one or more messages used for detecting link connectivity issues while operating the NE 50 in the action triggering mode, the instructions may further enable the processing device 32, 52 to store the one or more messages as one or more trusted messages in the active database 60. The instructions (e.g., of the safety mode enhancement 42, 66) may further enable the processing device 32, 52 to process the one or more trusted messages to detect for the existence of one or more connectivity faults in the section of the network that would impact the Ethernet service. In response to detecting the existence of one or more connectivity faults, the processing device 32, 52 may be configured to perform a protective switching action to remediate the one or more connectivity faults, such as by switching to a protection path through Nodes E and D. The instructions may further enable the processing device 32, 52 to present information (e.g., on a Graphical User Interface (GUI) or other O/I interface 36, 56) regarding the one or more untrusted messages that are stored in the isolated database 62 to a network administrator responsible for managing the Ethernet service in the network 10. The processing device 32, 52 also presents information regarding the one or more trusted messages that are stored in the active database 60 to the network administrator. Then, if the processing device 32, 52 receives a transfer request from the network administrator to move a transferable message from the isolated database to the active database (or vice versa), the processing device 32, 52 moves the transferable message based on the transfer request (i.e., from the isolated database 62 to the active database 60 or from the active database 60 to the isolated database 62) to thereby control whether this transferred message is to be handled according to the safety mode (e.g., secure mode, untrusted mode, distrustful mode, untrusting mode, etc.) or the action triggering mode (e.g., a trusted mode, trusting mode, etc.). In some embodiments, the isolated database 62 may include less storage capacity than the active database 60 to thereby reduce a waste of storage resources and to reduce the severity of a database exhaustion attack.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of data transfer between the active database 60 and the isolated database 62. For example, the user may move CFM-based entries from one database to the other, such as by entering requests via the I/O interfaces 36, 56. Moving the entries from one database to another will thereby change how those entries are processed. If the system 30, 50 is in a safety mode and entries are automatically placed in the isolated database 62, the user can review the entries and then move them to the active database 60 when appropriate. If the system 30, 50 is in an action triggering mode and entries are automatically placed in the active database 60, the user can review the entries being processed and move them to the isolated database 62 when appropriate.

In the action triggering (trusting) mode, all the received CCMs will be learned and added to the active database 60 for normal CFM functionality. In the safety (untrusting) mode, the CCMs will be learned and updated in this unique isolated database 62. The system 30, 50 can report the learning of CCMs in the isolated database 62 via a telemetry notification, alarm report, syslog message, etc. The user (e.g., network operator, network administrator, technician, engineer, etc.) can be given an option to move the entries (e.g., untrusted entries) from the isolated database 62 to the active database 60 when the user determines that the previously unknown entries are verified as legitimate. In some embodiments, the user can also be given the option to move entries in the opposite direction (i.e., from the active database 60 to the isolated database 62), such as, for example, when the user determines that the entries that were previously viewed as trustworthy are actually found to be untrustworthy. According to some embodiments, the CFM faults may then be reported only when it is determined, from the entries populating the active database