Graphical system and method for editing multi-layer data packets

• US 20040109453A1
• Filed: 12/10/2002
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keysight Technologies Singapore (Holdings) Pte. Limited. (Keysight Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ixia (Keysight Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wirth, Jarryl
• Granted Patent: US 8,046,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/393
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/06 Notations for structuring of protocol data, e.g. abstract syntax notation one [ASN.1]

Abstract

A graphical system and method for creating and editing packets of data is disclosed, which displays on a first pane of a computer window a hierarchical order of all of the protocol layers and protocol fields of a data packets, and displays on a second pane of the same window the entire encoded data packet in standard hexadecimal notation. In the first pane, a user can select a field of data pertaining to any of the protocol layers from the hierarchical order, and change any of the protocol field values, change options within a protocol, or add additional protocol layers to the packet, and the portion of the encoded data pertaining to the changed data will be updated in the second pane.

Claims

1. A method for creating and editing an encoded data packet, said method comprising:

displaying on a first pane of a computer window a hierarchical order of all of the protocol layers and protocol fields of said encoded data packet; and

displaying on a second pane of said window the entire encoded data packet.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said hierarchical order is tree-structured and whereby each node of the tree is optimally opened to hide, or closed to reveal, the fields in the next level down of the hierarchy.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said encoded data packet is in standard hexadecimal notation.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said data encoded packets are PDUs.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising editing on said first pane selected portions of said protocol layers and protocol fields while said encoded data packet displayed on said second pane remains unchanged.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein upon command said encoded data packet displayed on second pane is changed by the system in response to said editing of said protocol fields in said first pane.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting a protocol field pertaining to any of said protocol layers from said hierarchical order whereby a portion of an encoded data packet displayed in said second pane is identified as being associated with said selected protocol field.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting a protocol field pertaining to any of said protocol layers from said hierarchical order whereby a portion of an encoded data packet displayed in said second field of said window becomes available for modification.

9. The method of claim 1 further displaying on said second pane portions those portions of said encoded data packet that have optionally been removed from said sequences.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting from a menu additional protocol layers to be added to said hierarchical display at a location selected by said user, and wherein the encoded data corresponding to said selected protocol layers is added by the system at the proper location with said created data packet.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein upon command any selected protocol layer may be removed from said hierarchical display, and wherein the encoded data corresponding to said selected protocol layer is removed by the system from said created encoded data packet.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein, under selective control, all optional field defined by any of said layer or field protocols in said hierarchical order become visible at their proper location within said hierarchical order in said first pane.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising selecting any of said optional fields in said hierarchical order, and adding said selected fields to the existing encoded data packet, and wherein the encoded data corresponding to said selected optional fields is added to said encoded data packet by the system at the proper location in said second pane.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising selecting any of said optional fields in said hierarchical order, and removing them from the existing data packet under user command, and wherein the encoded data corresponding to said selected optional fields is removed from said data packet by the system at the proper location in said second pane.

15. The method of claim 1 further including presenting a scrollable view of said hierarchical display so that if said hierarchical order is larger than said window pane, then only a portion of said display is visible at any one time, but wherein all of said hierarchical order is on a single scrollable display.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein all of said encoded data is visible in said second pane regardless of the visibility of said protocol fields in said first pane.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein encoded data displayed in said second pane indicates which protocol fields have been selected for visibility in said first pane.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising selectively organizing said hierarchical order of said display, and wherein, upon completion of said organizing, said second field display changes to reflect said changes to said test sequence.

19. The method of claim 1 further including adding defined protocol layers to said first pane display and wherein said second pane display is automatically changed to reflect changes to said encoded data packet which result from said added protocol layers.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the number of said layers is independent of a display size of said window.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein additional levels are selectable by selection from a menu.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein only certain of said protocol fields are visible in said first pane for a period of time.

23. A system for displaying packets of encoded data whose content and format is defined by communications protocols, said data packets including encoded data transportable over a communication network, said system comprising:

a processor for calculating said encoded data packets based upon one or more user selected network protocols, such protocols encapsulated in layers in a user selected order;

a display for presenting in a first window pane said user selected protocols with their header fields and payload, and for presenting in a second window pane the encoded data associated with said selected protocols; and

an input for receiving changes to said protocols, header fields and payload, said changes resulting in new encoded data, with said processor receiving said input and changing said presentation of said encoded data packet in said second window pane.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the number of said protocols is independent of display size.

25. The system of claim 23 further comprising a menu of additional protocols, said menu available on said display.

26. The system of claim 23 wherein all of said protocols are in layers and said protocols have fields, and wherein said protocol layers and said protocol fields, as well as any added protocol layers, are visible in said first window pane by scrolling said first pane, if necessary.

27. The system of claim 23 wherein the entire encoded data packet is viewable in said second pane, by scrolling said second pane, if necessary.

28. The system of claim 23 wherein said protocol changes include modifications to selected portions of a protocol.

29. The system of claim 23 wherein said processor is operable for changing the information displayed to said user.

30. A system for creating and displaying PDUs, said system comprising:

means for receiving the identities of protocols desired as well as their layering, and

means for displaying received ones of said protocols in the layered ordered desired on a single window of a display without regard to the number of layers desired.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein said displaying means is operative to display on said single window the entire PDU test sequence code together with said display of said layered order.

32. The system of claim 31 further including means for accepting protocol changes and for automatically calculating any test sequence code change necessary for said protocol change.

33. The system of claim 32 further including means for changing said test sequence display code in response to any automatically calculated test sequence code changes.

34. The system of claim 31 wherein said protocol changes are made by selection from a menu of available protocols.

35. A computer product, including software, for controlling a processor, said computer product comprising code for creating data packets in accordance with user input of protocols and layering thereof, and code for controlling the display of said protocols in the layered order desired by said user, said display being on a single window without regard to the number of layers selected.

36. The computer product of claim 35 further comprising code for receiving and responding to user input to change said protocols, their layering, and their data field values.

37. The computer product of claim 35 further comprising code for also displaying on a separate portion of said window the entire encode data associated with said selected protocols.

38. The computer product of claim 37 further comprising code for controlling said displayed encoded data such that the display allows the user to know which sections of said displayed code is not active at any point in time.

39. The computer product of claim 35 further comprising code for controlling the acceptance of changes to said selected protocol, said changes identified using a GUI with respect to said display.

40. The computer product of claim 39 further comprising code for also displaying on a separate portion of said window the entire encoded data associated with said changed protocols.

41. The computer product of claim 39 wherein said changes include the positioning of a protocol with respect to existing protocols.

42. The computer product of claim 41 further comprising code for also displaying on a separate portion of said window the entire encoded data, including any code associated with said positioned protocol.

43. The computer product of claim 39 wherein said changes including accepting modifications of data pertaining to at least a portion of a protocol.

44. The computer product of claim 43 further comprising code for also displaying on a separate portion of said window the entire encode data, including any code associated with said accepted modifications.

45. The computer product of claim 39 wherein said changes include adding optional fields pertaining to said protocol.

46. The computer product of claim 39 wherein said changes include removing optional fields pertaining to said protocol.

47. The computer product of claim 39 wherein said changes include non-standard options not pertaining to non-standard protocols.

48. The computer product of claim 35 further comprising code for providing a menu on said display, said menu including a plurality of optional protocols selectable by a user.

49. The computer of claim 35 further comprising code for accepting from a menu a command for reducing the amount of information on said display.