Network analysis system and method

• US 20060168207A1
• Filed: 01/24/2006
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daintree Networks Pty Ltd. (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: Daintree Networks Pty Ltd. (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Choong, Jason Yew Choo, Morton, Marcel, van Gerrevink, Dean
• Granted Patent: US 7,792,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1835 Buffer management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/344 Out-of-band transfers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/026 using flow identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/02 Data link layer protocols

Abstract

A packet-based wireless network visualization system includes a data store, an input/output subsystem including a display device, and a processing subsystem. The system is configured to receive network topology data, packet flow record data, and measurements data over the input/output subsystem and store the network topology data, packet flow record data, and measurements data in the data store. Based on the stored data, the system generates a visual representation of a network topology on the display based on the network topology data, generates a visual representation of packet flows within the network topology based on the packet flow records, and selectively displays measurement data related to the packet flows and network topology based on the measurements data. The visual representation of the network topology including device objects and associations of device objects and includes a plurality of layer representations.

Claims

1. A packet-based wireless network visualization system, comprising:

a data store;

an input/output subsystem including a display device; and

a processing subsystem in data communication with the data store and the input/output subsystem, the packet-based wireless network visualization system configured to;

receive network topology data, packet flow record data, and measurements data over the input/output subsystem and store the network topology data, packet flow record data, and measurements data in the data store;

generate a visual representation of a network topology on the display based on the network topology data, the visual representation of the network topology including device objects and associations of device objects, the visual representation comprising a plurality of layer representations;

generate a visual representation of packet flows within the network topology based on the packet flow records; and

selectively display measurement data related to the packet flows and network topology based on the measurements data.

2. The packet-based wireless network visualization system of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of layer representations include a media access control (MAC) layer and a network layer.

3. The packet-based wireless network visualization system of claim 2, wherein:

the plurality of layer representations includes an application support (APS) layer.

4. The packet-based wireless network visualization system of claim 3, wherein:

the wireless network comprises a ZigBee network, and the packet-based wireless network visualization system is further configured to;

generate a visual representation indicating a binding between application endpoints.

5. The packet-based wireless network visualization system of claim 4, wherein the packet-based wireless network visualization system is further configured to:

generate a visual representation of device functions associated with the application endpoints.

6. The packet-based wireless network visualization system of claim 5, wherein:

the visual representation of device objects comprises a first geometry; and

the visual representation of device functions comprises a second geometry.

7. The packet-based wireless network visualization system of claim 2, wherein:

the visual representation of the network topology includes personal area network (PAN) objects indicating PAN within the network topology, and wherein the packet-based wireless network visualization system is further configured to selectively display PANs within the network topology.

8. The packet-based wireless network visualization system of claim 7, wherein:

the PAN objects include PAN fragment objects that indicate observation of a network fragment.

9. The packet-based wireless network visualization system of claim 1, wherein:

the visual representation of the network topology includes visual re-association indicia indicating a current device association and a previous device association within the network topology.

10. The packet-based wireless network visualization system of claim 9, wherein:

the visual re-association indicia comprises a first line type between a first device object and a second device object indicating a current association of the first and second device objects and a second line type between the first device object and a third device object indicating a previous association between the first and third device objects.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the plurality of layer representations include a media access control (MAC) layer and a network layer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the plurality of layer representations includes an application support (APS) layer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the wireless network comprises a ZigBee network, and further comprising;

generating a visual representation indicating a binding between application endpoints;

generating a visual representation of device functions associated with the application endpoints.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

generating a binding line indicating a direct binding between endpoints; and

generating an indirect endpoint object and binding lines connected to the indirect binding object indicating an indirect binding between endpoints.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

visually highlighting all bindings relating to an endpoint upon selection of the endpoint; and

displaying binding data related to a binding upon selection of a binding line.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the visual representation of the network topology includes personal area network (PAN) objects indicating PAN within the network topology, and further comprising selectively displaying PANs within the network topology.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

indicating observation of a network fragment by generating a PAN fragment object.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating visual re-association indicia indicating a current device association and a previous device associating within the network topology comprising a first line type between a first device object and a second device object indicating a current association of the first and second device objects and a second line type between the first device object and a third device object indicating a previous association between the first and third device objects.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein:

applying visual highlight indicia to the device objects upon the selection of a visual representation of a packet flow associated with the device object comprises;

highlighting all device objects intersected by the selected visual representation of packet flows.

11. A computer-implemented method of visualizing a packet-based wireless network, comprising:

generating a visual representation of a network topology, the visual representation of the network topology comprising device objects and associations of device objects and a plurality of layer representations;

generating a visual representation of packet flows within the network topology;

applying visual highlight indicia to the visual representation of packet flows associated with a device object upon the selection of a device object; and

applying visual highlight indicia to the device objects upon the selection of a visual representation of a packet flow associated with the device object.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein:

applying visual highlight indicia to the visual representation of packet flows associated with a device object upon the selection of a device object comprises outlining comprises;

highlighting visual representations of packet flows for which the device objection is representative of a source device or destination device of the visual representations of packet flows.

22. A packet-based wireless network visualization system, comprising:

means for generating a visual representation of a network topology, the visual representation of the network topology comprising device objects and associations of device objects and comprising a plurality of layer representations;

means for generating a visual representation of packet flows within the network topology; and

means for selectively displaying measurement data related to the packet flows and network topology.