Method of collecting information about test devices in a network

• US 10,419,322 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2016
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Hsueh, Canning, Bauer, Samuel M., Stevens, Michael, Mcintire, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye, Zi
• Application Number:
  US15/383,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20170099209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 709224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/26 Route discovery packet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

A method of collecting information about a plurality of test devices connected in a network is provided. The method includes: identifying routable network addresses within a plurality of the network addresses, and sending discovery packets to the plurality of routable network addresses, receiving responses from the test devices, obtaining the information about the test devices, and storing the information so as to associate, for each of the test devices, the test-device information with at least one of the routable network addresses. The routable network addresses are stored in non-volatile memory for repeated use in re-discovery of the test devices in the network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

capturing, by a test device, a packet being transmitted from a source device to a destination device via a network,

the packet being transmitted after initial routable network addresses are identified, the initial routable network addresses are used to discover initial test devices, information associated with destination addresses are collected from packets passing through the initial test devices, and destination address, of the destination addresses, is determined to be a routable network address,

the test device being an additional test device different than the initial test devices,

the packet including the destination address,

the destination address identifying the destination device, and

the destination device being different from the test device;

storing, by the test device and based on capturing the packet, the destination address;

identifying, by the test device and after storing the destination address, a pattern in the packet;

determining, by the test device and based on identifying the pattern in the packet, that the packet is a discovery packet that is being sent to discover the test device;

constructing, by the test device and based on determining that the packet is the discovery packet, an information packet that includes an identifier of the test device; and

inserting, by the test device, the information packet into the network.

2. The method of claim 1,

where the packet further includes a source address that identifies the source device, and

where the source device is different from the test device.

3. The method of claim 1, where the test device is an eavesdropping device that uses one or more synchronization protocols to synchronize with one or more other eavesdropping devices.

4. The method of claim 1,

where identifying the pattern in the packet comprises:

identifying the pattern in the packet by scanning a payload of the packet for two or more authentication patterns, and

where the two or more authentication patterns include the pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing a different packet;

determining that the different packet does not include any one of one or more authentication patterns,

the one or more authentication patterns including the pattern; and

passing the different packet through the test device based on determining that the different packet does not include any one of the one or more authentication patterns.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the information packet in a buffer before inserting the information packet into the network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying an idle frame,

where inserting the information packet into the network comprises;

inserting the information packet, into the network, during the idle frame.

8. The method of claim 1, where inserting the information packet into the network comprises:

inserting the information packet, into the network, by using a low-bandwidth sub-channel.

9. A system comprising:

a test device to;

capture a packet being transmitted to a destination device via a network,

the packet being transmitted after initial routable network addresses are identified, the initial routable network addresses are used to discover initial test devices, information associated with destination addresses are collected from packets passing through the initial test devices, and a destination address, of the destination addresses, is determined to be a routable network address,

the test device being an additional test device different than the initial test devices,

the packet including the destination address,

the destination address identifying the destination device, and

the destination device being different from the test device;

store, based on capturing the packet, the destination address;

identify a pattern in the packet;

determine, based on identifying the pattern in the packet, that the packet is a discovery packet that is being sent to discover the test device;

construct, based on determining that the packet is the discovery packet, an information packet that includes an identifier of the test device; and

insert the information packet into the network.

10. The system of claim 9,

where the packet is transmitted from a source device that is different from the test device, and

where the packet further includes a source address that identifies the source device.

11. The system of claim 9, where the test device is further to:

capture a different packet; and

pass the different packet through the test device without constructing a different information packet based on the different packet.

12. The system of claim 9, where the test device is further to:

capture a different packet;

determine that the different packet does not include any one of two or more patterns,

the two or more patterns including the pattern; and

pass the different packet based on determining that the different packet does not include any one of the two or more patterns.

13. The system of claim 9, where the test device is further to:

store the information packet in a buffer before inserting the information packet into the network.

14. The system of claim 9, where, when inserting the information packet into the network, the test device is to:

insert the information packet, into the network, during an idle frame.

15. The system of claim 9, where, when inserting the information packet into the network, the test device is to:

insert the information packet, into the network, by using a low-bandwidth sub-channel.

16. A test device comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors to;

capture a packet being transmitted from a source device to a destination device via a network,

the packet being transmitted after initial routable network addresses are identified, the initial routable network addresses are used to discover initial test devices, information associated with destination addresses are collected from packets passing through the initial test devices, and a destination address, of the destination addresses, is determined to be a routable network address,

the test device being an additional test device different than the initial test devices,

the packet including the destination address, and

the destination address identifying the destination device;

identify a pattern in the packet;

determine that the packet is a discovery packet based on identifying the pattern in the packet;

construct, based on determining that the packet is the discovery packet, an information packet that includes an identifier of the test device; and

insert the information packet into the network.

17. The test device of claim 16,

where the destination device is different from the test device.

18. The test device of claim 16, where the one or more processors are further to:

store, based on capturing the packet, the destination address in a buffer.

19. The test device of claim 18, where, when identifying the pattern in the packet, the one or more processors are to:

identify the pattern in the packet after storing the destination address.

20. The test device of claim 16,

where the one or more processors are further to:

identify an idle frame, and

where, when inserting the information packet into the network, the one or more processors are to;

insert the information packet, into the network, during the idle frame by using a low-bandwidth sub-channel.