Multiplex communications – Diagnostic testing – Determination of communication parameters
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-16
2001-08-21
Holloway, III, Edwin C. (Department: 2635)
Multiplex communications
Diagnostic testing
Determination of communication parameters
C709S224000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06278694
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application relates generally to networks, and more particularly, to collecting and reporting network monitoring data accumulated by remote probes.
The present application incorporates by reference, in its entirety, U.S. Pat. No. 5,886,643.
The aforementioned Patent discloses a system for collecting network traffic data, which employs remote probes and a centralized network manager. Each remote probe monitors traffic locally over one or several network segments to which the probe couples. Each remote probe regularly transmits its monitoring data to the centralized network manager. The network manager processes the monitoring data. For example, the manager may tag a portion of the data as representative of the network traffic. The tagged data eliminates redundancies that occur when several probes observe the same traffic. The network manager stores the processed data for later use.
The network manager produces traffic reports using the processed data. The traffic reports provide information on the traffic to and from particular network addresses. The processed data also provides a functional map of the network based on the locations of remote probes. The report and mapping information is approximate, because the processed monitoring data is only representative of the actual network traffic.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a first aspect, the invention is a method for collecting and reporting monitoring data for network traffic. The monitoring data is accumulated by a plurality of remote probes. The method includes making a series polls for lists of monitoring data to each probe and receiving the requested lists. Each list has traffic count values that are identified by at least a sampling time, a source address, a destination address and a probe identifier. The method also includes calculating the traffic observed by each probe between successive sampling times and apportioning the calculated traffic data among a single set of consecutive temporal intervals.
In various embodiments, the method steps of apportioning attribute the calculated traffic data to the temporal intervals in a pro rate manner. The portion of traffic data attributed to a particular temporal interval is proportional to the overlap between the associated sampling interval and the particular temporal interval.
In various embodiments, the method also includes storing the apportioned traffic data in a database. The stored data is grouped by the temporal interval, address pair, and probe identity. The traffic data may be further grouped by traffic protocols.
In some embodiments, the method includes finding best probes for selected address pairs in response to requests for traffic reports. The steps of finding the best probes include scanning the stored data to determine which probes observed the most traffic for the selected address pairs for a given temporal interval.
In a second aspect, the invention is a method of recording and reporting network traffic data. The method includes collecting monitoring data from a plurality of remote probes, processing the collected data to produce traffic data for a single set of consecutive temporal intervals, and storing the traffic data for each temporal interval to a database. The entries of the database are grouped together by temporal interval, monitoring probe identifier, and address pair. The monitoring data from first and second portions of the probes correspond to nonaligned sampling times.
In some embodiments, the steps of processing calculate traffic data for sampling intervals and apportion the calculated traffic data among the temporal intervals. The amount of traffic apportioned to a particular temporal interval is proportional to the overlap between the associated sampling interval and the particular temporal interval.
In response to a request for a traffic report, some embodiments also scan the traffic data to find the probes that observed the most traffic for selected address pairs. These embodiments may also make the requested report with the traffic data from the probes that observed the most data for a given temporal interval.
In a third aspect, the invention is a method for collecting and reporting network traffic. The method includes receiving monitoring data from a plurality of remote probes, calculating traffic data for sampling intervals from the monitoring data, and processing the calculated traffic data to apportion the data among a single set of temporal intervals. The sampling times of at least one probe do not coincide with the sampling times of the other probes. The data apportionment is pro rata according to the overlap between the associated sampling intervals and the temporal intervals.
In a fourth aspect, the invention is memory storage media encoded with executable programs of instructions. Each program performs one of the above-described methods.
The various embodiments can collect monitoring data from network probes that accumulate data during noncoinciding and/or non-aligned sampling intervals. This allows the collection of monitoring data from network structures that internally determine the sampling intervals for acquiring the monitoring data.
Some embodiments identify best probes to tag address pairs at the time that a network traffic report is prepared. The best probe for an address pair is the probe that observed the most traffic for the pair. The best probe is selected from network structures that monitor network traffic. The network structures for probes may include individual network devices and portions of other network devices. The best probe may accumulate monitoring data on network traffic in sampling intervals that do not coincide with the sampling intervals of other probes.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5615359 (1997-03-01), Yung
patent: 5781703 (1998-07-01), Desai
patent: 5886643 (1999-03-01), Diebboll et al.
Remote Network Monitoring Management Information Base Version 2, Waldbusser, pp 1, 79, 86-87, Jan. 1997.
Carey Bradley S.
Lauer Will C.
Stabile Lawrence A.
Wolf Jay B.
Concord Communications Inc.
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Holloway III Edwin C.
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