Method and system for monitoring streaming media flow

• US 20040167977A1
• Filed: 02/25/2003
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Dorland, Chia-Chu, Douglas, Christopher Paul
• Application Number:
  US10/372,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20040167977A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/026 using flow identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a method for monitoring streaming media flow in a computer network includes recording at least one address in an information packet, each at least one address corresponding to a location in the network where the information packet has been, and displaying a map showing a communication path in the network, the communication path being defined by the at least one address.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring streaming media flow in a computer network, the method comprising:

recording at least one address in an information packet, each at least one address corresponding to a location in the network where the information packet has been; and

displaying a map showing a communication path in the network, the communication path being defined by the at least one address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the map is displayed via a graphical user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

collecting the at least one address from the information packet.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the of collecting is performed at an outer boundary of the network.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one address includes addresses of routers and gateways through which the information packet passed.

6. The method of claim 3, comprising:

at the end of a periodic time interval, sending information based on the at least one address to a central monitoring system.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising:

generating the map based on the sent information.

8. The method of claim 6, comprising:

identifying a communication path defined by the at least one address.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising:

labeling the communication path defined by the at least one address.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the sent information includes path labels.

11. The method of claim 8, comprising:

tracking a frequency at which the identified path is traversed by information packets.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the sent information includes the frequency.

13. A system for monitoring streaming media flow in a computer network, the system comprising:

a processor configured to a) receive an information packet, b) collect at least one address recorded in the information packet where each of the at least one address identifies a location in the network where the information packet has been, and c) form a representation of a communication path defined by the at least one address; and

a display for receiving the representation of the communication path in the network, and for displaying a map showing the communication path in the network.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor comprises:

a first processor configured to receive an information packet and collect any addresses recorded in the information packet, where the addresses identify locations in the network where the information packet has been; and

a second processor configured to receive the collected addresses from the first processor and to provide communication path information based on the collected addresses to the display.

15. A system for monitoring streaming media flow in a computer network, the system comprising:

means for recording at least one address in an information packet, each at least one address corresponding to a location in the network where the information packet has been; and

means for displaying a map showing a communication path in the network, the communication path being defined by the at least one address.

16. The system of claim 15, comprising:

means for collecting the at least one address from the information packet.

17. The system of claim 16, comprising:

means for sending information based on the at least one address to a central monitoring system, at the end of a periodic time interval.

18. The system of claim 17, comprising:

means for generating the map based on the sent information.

19. The system of claim 17, comprising:

means for identifying a communication path defined by the at least one address.

20. The system of claim 19, comprising:

means for labeling the communication path defined by the at least one address.

21. The system of claim 19, comprising:

means for tracking a frequency at which the identified path is traversed by information packets.

22. A machine readable medium comprising a computer program for causing a computer to:

record at least one address in an information packet, each at least one address corresponding to a location in a network where the information packet has been; and

display a map showing a communication path in the network, the communication path being defined by the at least one address.

23. The medium of claim 22, wherein the computer program causes the computer to:

collect the at least one address from the information packet.

24. The medium of claim 23, wherein the computer program causes the computer to:

send information based on the at least one address to a central monitoring system, at the end of a periodic time interval.

25. The medium of claim 24, wherein the computer program causes the computer to:

generate the map based on the sent information.

26. The medium of claim 24, wherein the computer program causes the computer to:

identify a communication path defined by the at least one address.

27. The medium of claim 26, wherein the computer program causes the computer to:

label the communication path defined by the at least one address.

28. The medium of claim 26, wherein the computer program causes the computer to:

track a frequency at which the identified path is traversed by information packets.