Performance testing of a network segment between test appliances
First Claim
1. A method of generating a mix of network traffic types for conducting a network test on a target network segment between first and second test appliances configured respectively as a test generator and a test responder and connected to the network segment of a network under test, the method including:
- accessing at least a summary of historical network accounting records that include network traffic type distribution among supported application layer protocols identified in flows in the network under test;
for at least one time interval in the historical network accounting records, using a processor to generate a test traffic mix profile among the supported application layer protocols from analysis of the historical network accounting records;
loading the test traffic mix profile into memory of a network test appliance;
adapting the test traffic mix profile responsive to user input specifying at least a range of test traffic loads, identifiers of first and second test appliances, and network addresses to use for the first and second test appliances;
initiating over a network connection, a performance test of the target network segment that lies between the first and second test appliances disposed at different sides of the network connection including a server side and a client side;
wherein (i) the first test appliance, acting as a test generator, regenerates adapted network traffic by simulating activity, of one or more of a plurality of network devices of a first side selected from the client side and the server side of the network segment of the network under test, as captured in the historical network accounting records that were used to generate the adapted test traffic mix profile and (ii) the second test appliance acting as a test traffic responder, responds to the traffic generated by the first test appliance by simulating activity, of one or more of a plurality of network devices of a second side selected from the client side and the server side of the network segment of the network under test, as captured in the historical network accounting records; and
measuring and reporting test results from conducting the performance test upon the target network segment.
3 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
Computer networks include multiple hardware and software devices, each working together to provide a favorable user experience to an operator. Many of these devices are built to standards that have been published by international standards organizations. These standards include functional test criteria that, when executed successfully, assure functionality of the device within a group of devices. The technology disclosed maintains libraries of canned tests based on these published standards. In addition, the technology disclosed can collect, adapt, and execute sets of predefined transactions to a target test network. This will validate that the target test network can scale up to a desired combination of transactions of different types. This is accomplished by manipulating example transaction sets captured from probes or routers that save network accounting records from a model network.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method of generating a mix of network traffic types for conducting a network test on a target network segment between first and second test appliances configured respectively as a test generator and a test responder and connected to the network segment of a network under test, the method including:
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accessing at least a summary of historical network accounting records that include network traffic type distribution among supported application layer protocols identified in flows in the network under test; for at least one time interval in the historical network accounting records, using a processor to generate a test traffic mix profile among the supported application layer protocols from analysis of the historical network accounting records; loading the test traffic mix profile into memory of a network test appliance; adapting the test traffic mix profile responsive to user input specifying at least a range of test traffic loads, identifiers of first and second test appliances, and network addresses to use for the first and second test appliances; initiating over a network connection, a performance test of the target network segment that lies between the first and second test appliances disposed at different sides of the network connection including a server side and a client side;
wherein (i) the first test appliance, acting as a test generator, regenerates adapted network traffic by simulating activity, of one or more of a plurality of network devices of a first side selected from the client side and the server side of the network segment of the network under test, as captured in the historical network accounting records that were used to generate the adapted test traffic mix profile and (ii) the second test appliance acting as a test traffic responder, responds to the traffic generated by the first test appliance by simulating activity, of one or more of a plurality of network devices of a second side selected from the client side and the server side of the network segment of the network under test, as captured in the historical network accounting records; andmeasuring and reporting test results from conducting the performance test upon the target network segment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A test system that generates a mix of network traffic types for conducting a network test on a target network segment between first and second test appliances connected to the network segment of a network under test, the system including:
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a controller that includes a processor, memory and instructions in the memory that implement; accessing at least a summary of historical network accounting records that include network traffic type distribution among supported application layer protocols identified in flows in the network under test; for at least one time interval in the historical network accounting records, using a processor to generate a test traffic mix profile among the supported application layer protocols from analysis of the historical network accounting records; adapting the test traffic mix profile responsive to user input specifying at least a range of test traffic loads, identifiers of first and second test appliances, and network addresses to use for the first and second test appliances; a first test appliance that includes a processor, network interface, memory and instructions in the memory that implement; for at least one time interval in the historical network accounting records, using a processor to generate a test traffic mix profile among the supported application layer protocols from analysis of the historical network accounting records; adapting the test traffic mix profile responsive to user input specifying at least a range of test traffic loads, identifiers of first and second test appliances, and network addresses to use for the first and second test appliances; a second test appliance that includes a processor, network interface, memory and instructions in the memory that implement receiving and responding to test messages from the first test appliance; the controller further implementing; initiating over a network connection, a performance test of the target network segment that lies between the first and second test appliances disposed at different sides of the network connection including a server side and a client side;
wherein (i) the first test appliance, acting as a test generator, regenerates adapted network traffic by simulating activity, of one or more of a plurality of network devices of a first side selected from the client side and the server side of the network segment of the network under test, as captured in the historical network accounting records that were used to generate the adapted test traffic mix profile and (ii) the second test appliance acting as a test traffic responder, responds to the traffic generated by the first test appliance by simulating activity, of one or more of a plurality of network devices of a second side selected from the client side and the server side of the network segment of the network under test, as captured in the historical network accounting records; andreporting test results from conducting the performance test upon the target network. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification