Instantaneous user initiation voice quality feedback

• US 20040073641A1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Hepworth, Neil, Scholte, Alexander Martin, Minhazuddin, Muneyb, Krumm-Heller, Alex M., Laveau, Stephane C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,176,154 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/024 by adaptive sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1095 Inter-network session transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42136 Administration or customisation of services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1275 Methods and means to improve the telephone service quality, e.g. reservation, prioritisation or admission control

Abstract

A system for providing a high communications quality is provided. The system comprises: (a) an input operable to receive a message from at least one of first and second network nodes 200 and 204, the first and second network nodes communicating with one another in a session and the message indicating a service problem with the session and (b) a statistic collection agent 248 operable to cause, in response to the message, at least one of the following operations: (i) reconfiguration of one or more attributes or resources in the network; (ii) variation of a sampling frequency of one or more session-related performance attributes associated with the network; (iii) alteration of the types of session-related performance attributes being collected regarding the network; and (iv) collection of session-related information from nodes other than the at least first and second network nodes.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a network, comprising:

(a) providing at least first and second network nodes, the first and second network nodes communicating with one another in a session;

(b) receiving a message from at least one of the first and second network nodes, the message indicating a service problem with the session; and

(c) in response to the message, performing at least one of the following substeps;

(i) reconfiguring one or more resources in the network;

(ii) varying a sampling frequency of one or more session-related performance attributes associated with the network;

(iii) altering the types of session-related performance attributes being collected regarding the network; and

(iv) collecting session-related information from nodes other than the at least first and second network nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating the message before step (c).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, within a selected period of time, a number of service problem messages associated with a plurality of sessions are received and further comprising before step (c):

determining whether one or more of the following conditions is true;

(i) available memory space for storing session-related information at least one of equals and exceeds a predetermined memory level;

(ii) the number of the service problem messages at least one of equals and is less than a predetermined number of messages; and

(iii) one or more performance attributes associated with two or more concurrent sessions at least one of equals and is less than predetermined levels;

when the one or more of the following conditions is true, performing step (c); and

when the one or more of the following conditions is not true, not performing step (c).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein substep (i) is performed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein substep (i) comprises at least one of the following substeps:

assigning a different service class to at some of a plurality of packets associated with the session;

assigning a different priority level to at least some of the plurality of packets associated with the session;

causing at least some of the plurality of packets to use a different Differentiated Services Code Point;

making the session into a guaranteed service;

changing the codec at least one of the first and second nodes; and

switching at least some of the plurality of packets onto a circuit switched network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein substep (ii) is performed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a first sampling frequency used before the message is received in step (b) is less than a second sampling frequency used after the message is received in step (b).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein substep (iii) is performed.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a first type of session-related performance attributes collected before step (c) comprises at least one of a packetization loss associated with the session, an actual and/or average jitter buffer delay associated with at least one of the first and second network nodes, jitter associated with the session, available bandwidth during the session, and an actual and/or average round-trip time associated with session-related packets and wherein a second type of session-related performance attributes collected after step (c) comprises at least four of the following:

a total number of received packets associated with the session, a total number of received octets associated with the session, an actual and/or average round-trip time of at least one packet associated with the session, an actual and/or average jitter buffer delay associated with at least one of the first and second network nodes, a packetization loss associated with the session, a packet loss burst size associated with the session, a number of out of order packets associated with the session, an out of order distance associated with the session, jitter associated with the session, available bandwidth during the session, largest sequence jump associated with the session, largest sequence fall associated with the session;

maximum jitter associated with the session, number of jitter buffer under-runs associated with the session, number of jitter buffer over-runs associated with the session, the number of sequence jump instances associated with the session, the number of sequence fall instances associated with the session, trace route hop count associated with the session, time to live associated with the session, trace route per hop associated with the session, and echo tail length associated with the session.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein substep (iv) is performed.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein substep (iv) comprises:

contacting at least one of a router and switch to obtain queue-related information.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to step (b), forwarding a problem notification message to an address associated with network administration.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting a flag associated with the session, wherein the flag causes retention of predetermined types of collected performance attributes associated with the session.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from the at least one of the first and second network nodes a message indicating that service problem has lessened or ceased.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein in the session the communications between the first and second network nodes are derived from voice communications.

16. A computer readable medium containing instructions to perform the steps of claim 1.

17. A logic circuit configured to perform the steps of claim 1.

18. A system for monitoring a network, comprising:

an input operable to receive a message from at least one of first and second network nodes, the first and second network nodes communicating with one another in a session and the message indicating a service problem with the session;

a statistic collection agent operable to cause, in response to the message, at least one of the following operations;

(i) reconfiguration of one or more resources in the network;

(ii) variation of a sampling frequency of one or more session-related performance attributes associated with the network;

(iii) alteration of the types of session-related performance attributes being collected regarding the network; and

(iv) collection of session-related information from nodes other than the at least first and second network nodes.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the statistic collection agent is operable to cause authentication of the message before causing performance of one or more of operations (i)-(iv).

20. The system of claim 18, wherein, within a selected period of time, a number of service problem messages associated with a plurality of sessions are received and wherein the statistic collection agent is operable, before causing performance of one or more of operations (i)-(iv), to (a) determine whether one or more of the following conditions is true:

(i) available memory space for storing session-related information at least one of equals and exceeds a predetermined memory level;

(ii) the number of the service problem messages at least one of equals and is less than a predetermined number of messages; and

(iii) one or more performance attributes associated with two or more concurrent sessions at least one of equals and is less than predetermined levels;

(b) when the one or more of the following conditions is true, cause performance of at least one of operations (i)-(iv); and

(c) when the one or more of the following conditions is not true, not cause performance of the at least one of operations (i)-(iv).

21. The system of claim 18, wherein operation (i) is performed.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein operation (i) comprises at least one of the following suboperations:

assigning a different service class to at some of a plurality of packets associated with the session;

assigning a different priority level to at least some of the plurality of packets associated with the session;

causing at least some of the plurality of packets to use a different Differentiated Services Code Point;

making the session into a guaranteed service;

changing the codec at at least one of the first and second nodes; and

switching at least some of the plurality of packets onto a circuit switched network.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein operation (ii) is performed.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein a first sampling frequency used before the message is received is less than a second sampling frequency used after the message is received.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein operation (iii) is performed.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein a first type of session-related performance attributes collected before the message is received comprises at least one of a packetization loss associated with the session, an actual and/or average jitter buffer delay associated with at least one of the first and second network nodes, jitter associated with the session, available bandwidth during the session, and an actual and/or average round-trip time associated with session-related packets and wherein a second type of session-related performance attributes collected after the message is received comprises at least four of the following:

a total number of received packets associated with the session, a total number of received octets associated with the session, an actual and/or average round-trip time of at least one packet associated with the session, an actual and/or average jitter buffer delay associated with at least one of the first and second network nodes, a packetization loss associated with the session, a packet loss burst size associated with the session, a number of out of order packets associated with the session, an out of order distance associated with the session, jitter associated with the session, available bandwidth during the session, largest sequence jump associated with the session, largest sequence fall associated with the session;

maximum jitter associated with the session, number of jitter buffer under-runs associated with the session, number of jitter buffer over-runs associated with the session, the number of sequence jump instances associated with the session, the number of sequence fall instances associated with the session, trace route hop count associated with the session, time to live associated with the session, trace route per hop associated with the session, and echo tail length associated with the session.

27. The system of claim 18, wherein operation (iv) is performed.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein operation (iv) comprises the suboperation of:

contacting at least one of a router and switch to obtain queue-related information.

29. The system of claim 18, wherein the statistic collection agent is further operable, in response to receipt of the message, to forward a problem notification message to an address associated with network administration.

30. The system of claim 18, wherein the statistic collection agent is further operable to set a flag associated with the session, wherein the flag causes retention of predetermined types of collected performance attributes associated with the session.

31. The system of claim 18, wherein the input is further operable to receiving from the at least one of the first and second network nodes a message indicating that service problem has lessened or ceased.

32. A method for conducting a session in a network between at least first and second network nodes, comprising:

(a) parsing through one or more packets associated with the session to identify one or more session-related performance attributes;

(b) comparing the one or more session-related performance attributes with corresponding predetermined value for the one or more performance attributes;

(c) when the one or more session-related performance attributes at least one of equals and exceeds the corresponding predetermined value for the one or more performance attributes, causing one or more computational components to operate in a detailed monitoring mode, wherein in the detailed monitoring mode at least one of the following operations is performed;

(i) reconfiguring one or more resources in the network;

(ii) varying a sampling frequency of one or more session-related performance attributes associated with the network;

(iii) altering the types of session-related performance attributes being collected regarding the network; and

(iv) collecting session-related information from nodes other than the at least first and second network nodes.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein operation (i) is performed.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein operation (i) comprises at least one of the following suboperations:

assigning a different service class to at some of a plurality of packets associated with the session;

assigning a different priority level to at least some of the plurality of packets associated with the session;

causing at least some of the plurality of packets to use a different Differentiated Services Code Point;

making the session into a guaranteed service;

changing the codec at at least one of the first and second nodes; and

switching at least some of the plurality of packets onto a circuit switched network.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein operation (ii) is performed.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein a first sampling frequency used before the message is received in step (b) is less than a second sampling frequency used after the message is received in step (b).

37. The method of claim 32, wherein operation (iii) is performed.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein a first type of session-related performance attributes collected before step (c) comprises at least one of a packetization loss associated with the session, an actual and/or average jitter buffer delay associated with at least one of the first and second network nodes, jitter associated with the session, available bandwidth during the session, and an actual and/or average round-trip time associated with session-related packets and wherein a second type of session-related performance attributes collected after step (c) comprises at least four of the following:

a total number of received packets associated with the session, a total number of received octets associated with the session, an actual and/or average round-trip time of at least one packet associated with the session, an actual and/or average jitter buffer delay associated with at least one of the first and second network nodes, a packetization loss associated with the session, a packet loss burst size associated with the session, a number of out of order packets associated with the session, an out of order distance associated with the session, jitter associated with the session, available bandwidth during the session, largest sequence jump associated with the session, largest sequence fall associated with the session;

maximum jitter associated with the session, number of jitter buffer under-runs associated with the session, number of jitter buffer over-runs associated with the session, the number of sequence jump instances associated with the session, the number of sequence fall instances associated with the session, trace route hop count associated with the session, time to live associated with the session, trace route per hop associated with the session, and echo tail length associated with the session.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein operation (iv) is performed.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein operation (iv) comprises:

contacting at least one of a router and switch to obtain queue-related information.

41. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

in response to step (b), forwarding a problem notification message to an address associated with network administration.

42. A device operable to conduct a session in a network with at least one other device, comprising:

a performance monitoring agent operable to (a) parse through one or more packets associated with the session to identify one or more session-related performance attributes, (b) compare the one or more session-related performance attributes with corresponding predetermined value for the one or more performance attributes, and (c), when the one or more session-related performance attributes at least one of equals and exceeds the corresponding predetermined value for the one or more performance attributes, cause one or more computational components to operate in a detailed monitoring mode, wherein in the detailed monitoring mode at least one of the following operations is performed;

(i) reconfiguring one or more resources in the network;

(ii) varying a sampling frequency of one or more session-related performance attributes associated with the network;

(iii) altering the types of session-related performance attributes being collected regarding the network; and

(iv) collecting session-related information from nodes other than the at least first and second network nodes.

43. The device of claim 42, wherein operation (i) is performed.

44. The device of claim 43, wherein operation (i) comprises at least one of the following suboperations:

assigning a different service class to at some of a plurality of packets associated with the session;

assigning a different priority level to at least some of the plurality of packets associated with the session;

causing at least some of the plurality of packets to use a different Differentiated Services Code Point;

making the session into a guaranteed service;

changing the codec at at least one of the first and second nodes; and

switching at least some of the plurality of packets onto a circuit switched network.

45. The device of claim 42, wherein operation (ii) is performed.

46. The device of claim 45, wherein a first sampling frequency used before the message is received in step (b) is less than a second sampling frequency used after the message is received in step (b).

47. The device of claim 42, wherein operation (iii) is performed.

48. The device of claim 47, wherein a first type of session-related performance attributes collected before step (c) comprises at least one of a packetization loss associated with the session, an actual and/or average jitter buffer delay associated with at least one of the first and second network nodes, jitter associated with the session, bandwidth during the session, and an actual and/or average round-trip time associated with session-related packets and wherein a second type of session-related performance attributes collected after step (c) comprises at least four of the following:

a total number of received packets associated with the session, a total number of received octets associated with the session, an actual and/or average round-trip time of at least one packet associated with the session, an actual and/or average jitter buffer delay associated with at least one of the first and second network nodes, a packetization loss associated with the session, a packet loss burst size associated with the session, a number of out of order packets associated with the session, an out of order distance associated with the session, jitter associated with the session, bandwidth during the session, largest sequence jump associated with the session, largest sequence fall associated with the session;

maximum jitter associated with the session, number of jitter buffer under-runs associated with the session, number of jitter buffer over-runs associated with the session, the number of sequence jump instances associated with the session, the number of sequence fall instances associated with the session, trace route hop count associated with the session, time to live associated with the session, trace route per hop associated with the session, and echo tail length associated with the session.

49. The device of claim 42, wherein operation (iv) is performed.

50. The device of claim 49, wherein operation (iv) comprises:

contacting at least one of a router and switch to obtain queue-related information.

51. The device of claim 42, wherein the performance monitoring agent is further operable, in response to step (b), to forward a problem notification message to an address associated with network administration.

52. The device of claim 42, wherein the device is one of a telephone, a soft phone, an IP hard phone, a personal computer, a PDA, a pager, and a wireless phone.

53. A packet for transmitting performance information related to a session between at least first and second network nodes, comprising:

a mask comprising a plurality of indicators, each indicator having first and second states, wherein in the first state a value for a performance variable associated with the indicator is contained in the packet and in the second state a value for the performance variable associated with the indicator is not contained in the packet; and

a corresponding plurality of performance variable fields for containing respective values.

54. The packet of claim 53, further comprising fields for a plurality of the following:

a session identifier, hop information, media encryption information, packet payload information, packet size information, time to live information, and Differentiated Services Code Point or DSCP information.

55. The packet of claim 53, wherein the plurality of performance variable fields are associated with a plurality of the following:

a total number of received session-related packets, a total number of received session-related octets, an actual and/or average round-trip time of at least one packet associated with the session, an actual and/or average jitter buffer delay associated with at least one of the first and second network nodes, a packetization loss associated with the session, a packet loss burst size associated with the session, a number of out of order packets associated with the session, an out of order distance associated with the session, a jitter associated with a session, an available bandwidth during the session, largest sequence jump associated with the session, largest sequence fall associated with the session;

maximum jitter associated with the session, number of jitter buffer under-runs associated with the session, number of jitter buffer over-runs associated with the session, the number of sequence jump instances associated with the session, the number of sequence fall instances associated with the session, and echo tail length associated with the session.

56. A table containing performance information related to a plurality of sessions, the table comprising:

a plurality of session identifiers;

for each session identifier, end point information associated with one or more end points reporting service quality problems; and

for each session identifier, timing information associated with each instance of reporting of service quality problems.

57. The table of claim 56, further comprising:

for each session identifier, end point information associated with one or more end points not reporting service quality problems.