Fault-tolerant Audio and Video Bridging (AVB) Ethernet: A novel method for redundant stream registration configuration

The Audio and Video Bridging (AVB) technology equips Ethernet with Real-Time characteristics, based on standards developed by IEEE 802.1. In 2011, the IEEE 802.1 AVB Task group completed the first generation of AVB Standards, and is currently starting standardization work on AVB Generation 2, aimed at Industrial Automation & Control networks, as well as Automotive networks. One aspect of this standardization effort is to adapt AVB stream reservation mechanisms to operate with industrial-standard fault tolerance technologies. This paper proposes a method to allow AVB to be used flexibly with different use-cases and different stream configuration mechanisms to achieve fault-tolerance. The method has been verified through simulation and has been proposed to the AVB task group for inclusion into the 2^nd Generation AVB standards.