System and method for collecting and presenting service level agreement metrics in a switched metro ethernet network

• US 20060087979A1
• Filed: 10/27/2004
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tomalenas, Paul A., Schine, Bruce Alden
• Granted Patent: US 7,433,319 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/248
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5067 Customer-centric QoS measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput

Abstract

A method for monitoring a network includes injecting a plurality of data packets into the network. The data packets are transmitted between a source device and a destination device. A plurality of reflected data packets is collected. The plurality of reflected data packets are reflected from the destination device to the source device. Also, the plurality of reflected data packets includes at least a portion of the data packets injected into the network. The method further includes determining a total number of the reflected data packets. A packet delivery rate, a latency value, and a jitter value can be calculated based at least partially on the total number of reflected data packets. Further, the packet delivery rate, the latency value, and the jitter value can be reported to a user.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a network, the method comprising:

injecting a plurality of data packets into the network, wherein the data packets are transmitted between a source device and a destination device; and

collecting a plurality of reflected data packets, wherein the plurality of reflected data packets are reflected from the destination device to the source device, and wherein the plurality of reflected data packets include at least a portion of the data packets injected into the network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a total number of the reflected data packets.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

calculating a packet delivery rate based at least partially on the total number of reflected data packets.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

calculating a latency value based at least partially on the total number of reflected data packets.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

calculating a jitter value based at least partially on the total number of reflected data packets.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

reporting at least one of the following to a user;

the packet delivery rate, the latency value, and the jitter value.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is a switched metro Ethernet network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of data packets are created at a server and injected into an edge switch of the switched metro Ethernet network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of data packets are created by a service assurance agent (SAA) within the server.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the source device is a first edge switch of a switched metro Ethernet network, the destination device is a second edge switch of the switched metro Ethernet network, and the first edge switch is coupled to the second edge switch via a core system of the switched metro Ethernet network.

12. The server of claim 9, wherein the SAA further comprises:

instructions to determine a total number of the reflected data packets.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein the SAA further comprises:

instructions to calculate a packet delivery rate based at least partially on the total number of reflected data packets.

14. The server of claim 13, wherein the SAA further comprises:

instructions to calculate a latency value based at least partially on the total number of reflected data packets.

15. The server of claim 14, wherein the SAA further comprises:

instructions to calculate a jitter value based at least partially on the total number of reflected data packets.

16. The server of claim 15, wherein the SAA further comprises:

instructions to report at least one of the following to a user;

the packet delivery rate, the latency value, and the jitter value.

17. The server of claim 11, wherein the source device is a first edge switch, the destination device is a second edge switch, and the first edge switch is coupled to the second edge switch via a core system.

18. The server of claim 17, wherein the plurality of artificial data packets are injected into the first edge switch.

11. A server, comprising:

a processor;

a memory device coupled to the processor;

a service assurance agent (SAA) embedded within the memory device and executable by the processor, the SAA comprising;

instructions to inject a plurality of data packets into a switched metro Ethernet network from a source device to a destination device; and

instructions to collect a plurality of data packets that are reflected from the destination device back to the source device.

19. A switched metro Ethernet network, comprising:

a core system;

a first edge switch coupled to the core system;

a second edge switch coupled to the core system;

a server coupled to the switched metro Ethernet network;

a computer program embedded within the server, the computer program comprising;

instructions to calculate a data packet delivery rate between the first edge switch and the second edge switch.

20. The switched metro Ethernet network of claim 19, wherein the computer program further comprises:

instructions to calculate a data packet latency value between the first edge switch and the second edge switch.

21. The switched metro Ethernet network of claim 20, wherein the computer program further comprises:

instructions to calculate a data packet jitter value between the first edge switch and the second edge switch.

22. The switched metro Ethernet network of claim 21, wherein the computer program further comprises:

instructions to inject a plurality of artificial data packets into a switched metro Ethernet network from a source address to a destination address.

23. The switched metro Ethernet network of claim 22, wherein the computer program further comprises:

instructions to collect a plurality of artificial data packets that have been reflected from the destination address back to the source address.

24. The switched metro Ethernet network of claim 23, wherein the computer program further comprises:

instructions to determine a total number of the reflected artificial data packets.

25. The switched metro Ethernet network of claim 24, wherein the packet delivery rate is calculated at least partially based on the total number of reflected artificial data packets.

26. The switched metro Ethernet network of claim 25, wherein the packet latency value is calculated at least partially based on the total number of reflected artificial data packets.

27. The switched metro Ethernet network of claim 26, wherein the packet jitter value is calculated at least partially based on the total number of reflected artificial data packets.

28. The switched metro Ethernet network of claim 27, wherein the computer program further comprises:

instructions to report at least one of the following to a user;

the packet delivery rate, the latency value, and the jitter value.

29. The switched metro Ethernet network of claim 22, wherein the first edge switch is located at the source address and the second edge switch is the destination address.

30. The switched metro Ethernet network of claim 29, wherein the plurality of artificial data packets are injected into the first edge switch.

31. The switched metro Ethernet network of claim 28, further comprising:

a first customer premises equipment coupled to the first edge switch; and

a first user computer coupled to the first customer premises equipment.

32. The switched metro Ethernet network of claim 31, further comprising:

a second customer premises equipment coupled to the first edge switch; and

a second user computer coupled to the second customer premises equipment.

33. The switched metro Ethernet network of claim 32, wherein the first user computer and the second user computer comprise a graphical user interface and wherein the computer program within the server reports to the first user computer and the second user computer via the graphical user interface.