Method and system for testing networks

• US 20040088605A1
• Filed: 11/05/2002
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Great North Equipment, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Spirent Communications PLC (Spirent Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cash, Floyd, Nakamoto, Ed
• Granted Patent: US 7,100,091 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention comprises a method and system for testing a networking system'"'"'s performance. The invention solves a problem related to upgrading system components associated with different steps of the testing process for networking systems. Systems embodying the invention comprise a processing apparatus and a testing apparatus, each of which contains a data bus. The two data buses are linked together through a bi-directional communication bridge that allows the testing apparatus and the processing apparatus to transparently communicate such that the bridged data buses behave as through they exist on a same local bus. The architecture provided by the invention allows for the upgrading of a processing apparatus for enhanced data processing performance without changing existing adequate testing devices.

Claims

1. A system for testing networking systems comprising:

a testing apparatus comprising at least one testing device coupled with a first bus, wherein said at least one testing device is configured to communicate with at least one networking system on a network;

a processing apparatus coupled with a second bus, wherein said processing apparatus is configured to process test data received from said at least one testing device; and

,

a bi-directional bridge coupling said first bus and said second bus, said bi-directional bridge configured to allow said processing apparatus to communicate, through said second bus, to address said at least one testing device comprising;

a data communication link;

a first interface coupling said first bus and said data communication link; and

a second interface coupling said second bus and said data communication link.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one testing device further comprises at least one network traffic generator.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said at least one network traffic generator further comprises at least one network node emulator.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one testing device further comprises at least one network traffic monitor.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one testing device further comprises at least one network traffic analyzer.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one testing device further comprises hardware that supports multi-user remote access.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one testing apparatus further comprises hardware that supports remote distributed testing.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said processing apparatus comprises software for simulating traffic distribution.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said processing apparatus comprises software for simulating user defined traffic.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said processing apparatus comprises software for prioritizing traffic.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said processing apparatus comprises software for policing traffic.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said processing apparatus comprises software for injecting errors to test error detection and handling.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said processing apparatus comprises software for monitoring traffic.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said processing apparatus comprises a software test suite.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein said processing apparatus comprises software for analyzing traffic.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said software for analyzing traffic comprises software for filtering traffic.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein said software for analyzing traffic comprises software for capturing traffic for analysis and decoding.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein said software for analyzing traffic comprises software for providing a graphical view of said analyzed traffic in real time.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein said processing apparatus comprises a microprocessor and operating system software.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said processing apparatus further comprises test and analysis software executed by said microprocessor.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein said first interface further comprises hardware components for supporting serial communication.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein said second interface further comprises hardware components for supporting serial communication.

23. A method for testing networking systems performance comprising:

obtaining user configuration data through a user interface of a processing apparatus;

generating configuration information specifically for at least one testing device for testing at least one networking system;

providing said configuration information to said at least one testing device through a communication bridge linking two separate data buses comprising a first bus and a second bus, wherein said at least one testing device is coupled with said first bus and wherein said processing apparatus comprises said second data bus;

generating network traffic data;

applying said network traffic data to said at least one networking system;

capturing a test result of said at least one networking system; and

communicating said test result to said processing apparatus through said communication bridge.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said obtaining user configuration data further comprises automatically running software scripts.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein said generating configuration information further comprises obtaining an identification for each one of said at least one testing device on a local data bus.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said obtaining said identification further comprises obtaining at least one hardware address.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein said providing said configuration information to said at least one testing device further comprises transparently addressing said second data bus.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein said generating network traffic data further comprises simulating network traffic from at least one network node.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said simulating network traffic further comprises inserting errors in said network traffic.

30. The method of claim 23 wherein said generating network traffic data further comprises generating said network traffic at a plurality of band-width data loads.