Network presence status from network activity

• US 20060239200A1
• Filed: 04/21/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jennings, Cullen F., Seavey, Dale J., Pirzada, Shamim S., Gits, Peter M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,573,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

A system for monitoring connectivity status includes network traffic transport entities and an aggregation server. The network traffic transport entities transport network traffic and are able to monitor a portion of the network traffic, access one or more network traffic alert rules, apply the network traffic alert rules to the portion of the network traffic, and determine whether an alert is required based on the application of the network traffic alert rules. The network traffic transport entities are also able to, in response to a determination that an alert is required, generate an alert message. The aggregation server is able to maintain a connectivity status profile, receive the alert message from the network traffic transport entity, identify a matching one of the communication devices in the connectivity status profile, determine an updated network connectivity status for the matching communication device, and update the connectivity status for the matching communication device.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring connectivity status comprising:

one or more network traffic transport entities each transporting network traffic and operable to;

monitor a portion of the network traffic;

access one or more network traffic alert rules each associated with traffic characteristics indicative of network status for a communication device;

apply the network traffic alert rules to the portion of the network traffic;

determine whether an alert is required based on the application of the network traffic alert rules; and

in response to a determination that an alert is required, generate an alert message comprising a device identifier associated with the portion of the network traffic and traffic characteristics for the portion of the network traffic; and

an aggregation server operable to;

maintain a connectivity status profile indicating, for one or more communication devices associated with a network system user, a connectivity status for the communication device;

receive the alert message from the network traffic transport entity;

identify a matching one of the communication devices in the connectivity status profile based on the device identifier in the alert message;

determine an updated network connectivity status for the matching communication device based on the traffic characteristics in the alert message; and

update the connectivity status for the matching communication device using the updated network connectivity status.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the portion of the network traffic that is monitored is determined by statistical sampling.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the network traffic alert rules comprise one or more of:

in response to detecting an outgoing e-mail message, send an alert message;

in response to detecting an outgoing instant message, send an alert message;

in response to detecting external HTTP traffic, send an alert message; and

in response to detecting an outgoing SIP invite, send an alert message.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the updated network connectivity status is determined using logical learning methods.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the connectivity status is selected from the group consisting of:

present and not present.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the network traffic comprises one or more packets.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the aggregation server is further operable to generate a connectivity status update notice.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the aggregation server is further operable to identify one or more subscribers associated with the connectivity status profile and send the connectivity status update notice to the identified subscribers.

9. A computer-implemented method for monitoring connectivity status comprising:

monitoring a portion of network traffic;

accessing one or more network traffic alert rules each associated with traffic characteristics indicative of network status for a communication device;

applying the network traffic alert rules to the portion of the network traffic;

determining whether an alert is required based on the application of the network traffic alert rules; and

in response to a determination that an alert is required, generating an alert message comprising a device identifier associated with the portion of the network traffic and traffic characteristics for the portion of the network traffic; and

maintaining a connectivity status profile indicating, for one or more communication devices associated with a network system user, a connectivity status for the communication device;

receiving the alert message;

identifying a matching one of the communication devices in the connectivity status profile based on the device identifier in the alert message;

determining an updated network connectivity status for the matching communication device based on the traffic characteristics in the alert message; and

updating the connectivity status for the matching communication device using the updated network connectivity status.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the portion of the network traffic that is monitored is determined by statistical sampling.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the network traffic alert rules comprise one or more of:

in response to detecting an outgoing e-mail message, send an alert message;

in response to detecting an outgoing instant message, send an alert message;

in response to detecting external HTTP traffic, send an alert message; and

in response to detecting an outgoing SIP invite, send an alert message.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the updated network connectivity status is determined using logical learning methods.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the connectivity status is selected from the group consisting of:

present and not present.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the network traffic comprises one or more packets.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating a connectivity status update notice.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising identifying one or more subscribers associated with the connectivity status profile and sending the connectivity status update notice to the identified subscribers.

17. Software for monitoring connectivity status comprising, embodied in a computer readable medium and, when executed using one or more processors, operable to:

monitor a portion of network traffic;

access one or more network traffic alert rules each associated with traffic characteristics indicative of network status for a communication device;

apply the network traffic alert rules to the portion of the network traffic;

determine whether an alert is required based on the application of the network traffic alert rules; and

in response to a determination that an alert is required, generate an alert message comprising a device identifier associated with the portion of the network traffic and traffic characteristics for the portion of the network traffic; and

maintain a connectivity status profile indicating, for one or more communication devices associated with a network system user, a connectivity status for the communication device;

receive the alert message;

identify a matching one of the communication devices in the connectivity status profile based on the device identifier in the alert message;

determine an updated network connectivity status for the matching communication device based on the traffic characteristics in the alert message; and

update the connectivity status for the matching communication device using the updated network connectivity status.

18. The software of claim 17, wherein the portion of the network traffic that is monitored is determined by statistical sampling.

19. The software of claim 17, wherein the network traffic alert rules comprise one or more of:

in response to detecting an outgoing e-mail message, send an alert message;

in response to detecting an outgoing instant message, send an alert message;

in response to detecting external HTTP traffic, send an alert message; and

in response to detecting an outgoing SIP invite, send an alert message.

20. The software of claim 17, wherein the updated network connectivity status is determined using logical learning methods.

21. The software of claim 17, wherein the connectivity status is selected from the group consisting of:

present and not present.

22. The software of claim 17, wherein the network traffic comprises one or more packets.

23. The software of claim 17, further operable to generate a connectivity status update notice.

24. The software of claim 23, further operable to identify one or more subscribers associated with the connectivity status profile and send the connectivity status update notice to the identified subscribers.

25. A system for monitoring connectivity status comprising:

a means for monitoring a portion of network traffic;

a means for accessing one or more network traffic alert rules each associated with traffic characteristics indicative of network status for a communication device;

a means for applying the network traffic alert rules to the portion of the network traffic;

a means for determining whether an alert is required based on the application of the network traffic alert rules; and

a means for generating an alert message comprising a device identifier associated with the portion of the network traffic and traffic characteristics for the portion of the network traffic; and

a means for maintaining a connectivity status profile indicating, for one or more communication devices associated with a network system user, a connectivity status for the communication device;

a means for receiving the alert message;

a means for identifying a matching one of the communication devices in the connectivity status profile based on the device identifier in the alert message;

a means for determining an updated network connectivity status for the matching communication device based on the traffic characteristics in the alert message; and

a means for updating the connectivity status for the matching communication device using the updated network connectivity status.