Busy Router Backpressure Messages

Overview:

The Busy Router Backpressure Messages diagnostic fails when one or more routers in an Operational Technology network send a Router-Busy-To-Network message, indicating they are experiencing high levels of traffic and are temporarily unable to process incoming messages. 

Causes:

Device Overload: The routers or devices sending Busy Router Backpressure Messages might be overloaded due to heavy processing demands, preventing them from effectively handling incoming data.

Implications:

• Network Congestion: The presence of Busy Router Backpressure Messages suggests that the network is congested with a high volume of BACnet traffic. This congestion may be caused by an unusually large number of devices sending requests simultaneously or excessive broadcast messages.

• Network Latency: The congestion and overload could lead to increased network latency, causing delays in the transmission of BACnet messages and responses.
  
  
• Data Loss: If the network congestion is severe, Busy Router Backpressure Messages might result in dropped or lost BACnet packets, leading to incomplete or unreliable data transmission.
  
  
• Service Degradation: The network's performance might degrade as devices struggle to manage the incoming data, potentially affecting the overall functionality of the BACnet system.

How to fix it:

• Network Monitoring: Regularly monitor network traffic and device performance to identify congestion and overload issues.
  
  
• Traffic Management: Implement traffic shaping or Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms to prioritize critical BACnet traffic.
  
  
• Device Load Balancing: Distribute network traffic across multiple devices or segments to prevent overloading a single router.
  
  
• Optimization: Optimize device configurations, network topology, and traffic patterns to reduce congestion.
  
  
• Capacity Planning: Plan network capacity to accommodate peak usage and potential traffic spikes.
  
  
• Troubleshooting: Identify the sources of heavy traffic, such as excessive broadcasts or inefficient device communication, and address them.