IP exchange quality testing system and method

• US 20050128943A1
• Filed: 01/24/2005
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AIP Acquisition LLC
• Original Assignee: Arbinet-Thexchange Incorporated
• Inventors: Krikor, Gebran, Kim, Roger, Gibbs, Michael D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,948,875 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks

Abstract

A method for measuring a quality of an IP network of a member of a trading exchange includes finding a penultimate hop corresponding to each IP network IP network prefix in a set of IP network IP network prefixes of a member, determining a quality score for the each IP network IP network prefix based on tests performed at the penultimate hop, and creating a matrix for the member including the determined quality for the each IP network IP network prefix. The quality is used to facilitate matching the offers of the buyers and sellers.

Claims

1. A method for measuring a quality of an IP network, comprising the steps of:

finding a penultimate hop corresponding to each IP network prefix in a set of IP network prefixes of a member;

determining a quality score for the each IP network prefix based on tests performed on the penultimate hop; and

creating a matrix including the determined quality for the each IP network prefix.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of finding the penultimate hop comprises breaking down the each IP network prefix into smallest assignment components, performing a traceroute for each of the smallest assignment components of the each IP network prefix, and recording the penultimate hop for that traceroute.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of generating a list of IP network prefixes covered by each of the penultimate hops.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of consolidating a list of IP network prefixes for each of the determined penultimate hops into a most efficient CIDR block.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the smallest assignment component is a /24.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said steps of determining a quality, creating a matrix, and creating a routing table are repeated periodically.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said steps of determining a quality, creating a matrix, and creating a routing table are repeated hourly.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of acquiring a full route table and filtering the IP network prefixes in the full route table to the valid IP network prefixes, before said step of finding the penultimate hop, wherein set of IP network IP network prefixes includes only valid IP network prefixes announced by the member.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining a quality comprises determining which penultimate hops to test based on IP network prefixes announced to a trading exchange by a member.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of determining which penultimate hops to test is performed periodically.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of determining which penultimate hops to test is performed daily.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of determining a quality comprises sending a ping packet to each penultimate hop to be tested for the member and determining at least one of packet loss, latency, and jitter.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the determined packet loss is recorded as one of lost and not lost.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the determined latency is the round trip time of the ping packet.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the determined jitter comprises a measurement of a differences between measurements of latency.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of determining a quality comprises determining an availability of each of the penultimate hops.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of determining a quality further comprises determining an availability of each of the penultimate hops to be tested.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of determining a quality comprises determining a BGP stability of each of the penultimate hops to be tested.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of determining a quality further comprises determining a BGP stability of each of the penultimate hops to be tested.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the matrix includes for each IP network prefix to be tested, an entry including IP network prefix identification, packet loss, latency, availability, BGP stability, and the date and time of testing.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of creating an optimized routing table for each IP network prefix in the full route table based on the following priority:

lowest latency, lowest packet loss, highest availability, and highest BGP stability.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of determining a stream quality measurement for an endpoint, determine the penultimate hop associated with the endpoint, and updating the matrix with weighted quality data for the penultimate hop based on the stream quality measurement and the quality score based on the penultimate hop test.

23. A route analyzer for determining an IP network prefix quality for each of a plurality of IP network prefixes, wherein the route analyzer includes a server dimensioned and arranged for determining a penultimate hop corresponding to each IP network prefix in the plural IP network prefixes, and determining a quality score for the each IP network prefix based on tests performed at the penultimate hop.

24. The route analyzer of claim 23, wherein said plurality of IP network prefixes comprise IP network prefixes offered to an IP bandwidth trading exchange for trading by a member of the IP bandwidth trading exchange.

25. The trading exchange of claim 23, wherein the penultimate hop of the each IP network prefix is a last router in a traceroute for the each IP network prefix.

26. The trading exchange of claim 24, wherein said route analyzer is further arranged for creating a matrix for the member including the quality score for the each IP network prefix.

27. The trading exchange of claim 23, wherein said route analyzer further comprises a route optimizer dimensioned and arranged for creating an optimized routing table by selecting a best quality IP network prefix route for the each network IP network prefix.

28. The trading exchange of claim 27, wherein said route analyzer further comprises a IP route database, the optimized routing table being stored in said IP route database.

29. An element in an IP bandwidth trading exchange including computer readable memory storing computer executable instructions for measuring a quality of IP network prefixes in an IP network of a member of an IP bandwidth trading exchange, said computer readable memory comprising computer-executable instructions for executing the steps of:

finding a penultimate hop corresponding to each IP network prefix in a set of IP network IP network prefixes of a member;

determining a quality score for the each IP network prefix based on tests performed at the penultimate hop; and

creating a matrix for the member including the determined quality for the each IP network prefix.