Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) network performance monitor

• US 20030128692A1
• Filed: 01/04/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Sujin Catherine, Pan, Kwang-Shan, Mitsumori, Derek Hisami
• Granted Patent: US 6,850,525 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5087 wherein the managed service relates to voice services management of VoIP services H04M7/0081
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method includes deriving packet delivery statistics from a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) stream simulating a service level provided by a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network and transmitted across the VoIP network at a first pre-defined interval, and processing the derived packet delivery statistics at a second pre-defined interval to generate network performance statistics for the VoIP network, where the second pre-defined interval is substantially larger than the first pre-defined interval.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

deriving packet delivery statistics from a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) stream simulating a service level provided by a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network and transmitted across the VoIP network, at a first pre-defined interval; and

processing the derived packet delivery statistics at a second pre-defined interval to generate network performance statistics for the VoIP network, where the second pre-defined interval is substantially larger than the first pre-defined interval.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the UDP stream is generated by a first client terminal connected to the VoIP network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a UDP stream comprises:

selecting a service level; and

adjusting payload sizes and bit rates of the UDP packets according to the selected service level.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

setting an IP precedence bit to specify a class of service for each UDP packet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the UDP stream is transmitted by a first client terminal connected to the VoIP network to a second client terminal connected to the VoIP network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the packet delivery statistics are derived from the UDP stream by a first client terminal connected to the VoIP network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein deriving packet delivery statistics comprises:

measuring packet loss of the UDP stream at each first pre-defined interval.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein deriving packet delivery statistics comprises:

measuring jitter of the UDP stream at each first pre-defined interval.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein deriving packet delivery statistics comprises:

measuring round-trip delay of the UDP stream at each first pre-defined interval.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network performance statistics are generated by a monitoring device connected the VoIP network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein generating network performance statistics comprises:

deriving an average packet loss value of the UDP stream over the second pre-defined interval.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein generating network performance statistics comprises:

deriving a maximum packet loss value of the UDP stream over the second pre-defined interval.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein generating network performance statistics comprises:

deriving a minimum packet loss value of the UDP stream over the second pre-defined interval.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein generating network performance statistics comprises:

deriving an average jitter value of the UDP stream over the second pre-defined interval.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein generating network performance statistics comprises:

deriving a maximum jitter value of the UDP stream over the second pre-defined interval.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein generating network performance statistics comprises:

deriving a minimum jitter value of the UDP stream over the second pre-defined interval.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein generating network performance statistics comprises:

deriving an average round-trip delay value of the UDP stream over the second pre-defined interval.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein generating network performance statistics comprises:

deriving a maximum round-trip delay value of the UDP stream over the second pre-defined interval.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein generating network performance statistics comprises:

deriving a minimum round-trip delay value of the UDP stream over the second pre-defined interval.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a histogram that shows distribution of measurements for packet loss.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a histogram that shows distribution of measurements for jitter.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a histogram that shows distribution of measurements for delay.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a graphical report showing a distribution of the derived packet delivery statistics over the second pre-defined interval.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

triggering an alarm if any one of the network performance statistics exceeds a pre-configured threshold.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein a first client terminal is connected to a first VoIP Point of Presence (VoIP PoP) on the VoIP network and a second client terminal is connected to a second VoIP PoP on the VoIP network, the method further comprising:

triggering a traceroute that traces a route between the first VoIP PoP and the second VoIP PoP if any one of the network performance statistics exceeds a pre-configured threshold.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

storing results of the traceroute in a traceroute file, wherein the results comprise Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of each router in the route.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

retrieving router performance statistics of each router in the route between the first VoIP PoP and the second VoIP PoP.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the router performance statistics are retrieved from a router performance monitor connected to the VoIP network.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the router performance statistics comprises discard rates for each router.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the router performance statistics comprises error rates for each router.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the service level is associated with a type of voice codec.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of voice codec comprises a waveform codec.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of voice codec comprises a source codec.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of voice codec comprises a hybrid codec.

35. A Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network performance testing system comprising:

a VoIP network;

a first client terminal connected to the VoIP network, the first client terminal being configured to;

generate a stream of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets simulating a service level provided by a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network;

transmit the UDP stream across the VoIP network to a second client terminal connected to the VoIP network;

derive packet delivery statistics from the UDP stream at a first pre-defined interval; and

a monitoring device connected to the VoIP network, the monitoring device being configured to;

process the derived packet delivery statistics at a second pre-defined interval; and

generate network performance statistics for the VoIP network, where the second pre-defined interval is substantially larger than the first pre-defined interval.

36. The system of claim 35, the UDP stream is generated by a first client terminal connected to the VoIP network.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein generating comprises:

controlling the first client terminal to select a service level and generate a UDP stream having payload sizes and bit rates corresponding to the selected service level.

38. The system of claim 35, further comprising:

controlling the first client terminal to set an IP precedence bit to specify a class of service for each UDP packet.

39. The system of claim 35, further comprising:

controlling the monitoring device to trigger an alarm if any one of the network performance statistics exceeds a pre-configured threshold.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the first client terminal is connected to a first VoIP Point of Presence (VoIP PoP) on the VoIP network and the second client terminal is connected to a second VoIP PoP on the VoIP network, the system further comprising:

controlling the monitoring device to trigger a traceroute that traces a route between the first VoIP PoP and the second VoIP PoP if any one of the network performance statistics exceeds a pre-configured threshold.

41. The system of claim 40, further comprising:

controlling the first client terminal to;

store results of the traceroute in a traceroute file, wherein the results comprise Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of each router in the route; and

send the traceroute file to the monitoring device.

42. The system of claim 40, further comprising:

a router performance monitor connected to the VoIP network, the router performance monitor being configured to poll each router in the route at pre-defined intervals to collect router performance statistics.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein the router performance statistics comprises discard rates for each router.

44. The system of claim 41, wherein the router performance statistics comprises error rates for each router.