Voice over IP capturing

• US 20060268847A1
• Filed: 06/15/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nice Ltd
• Original Assignee: Nice Systems Limited (Nice Ltd)
• Inventors: Knoll, Reuven, Yachil, Gal, Portman, Leon, Halbraich, Eran, Lenchner, Yariv
• Granted Patent: US 8,165,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/306 intercepting packet switched data communications, e.g. Web, Internet or IMS communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

An apparatus for Voice over IP capturing in a network, comprising: a data receiver, tapping the network and configured to receive at least one data packet transmitted in the network, a VoIP identifier, associated with the data receiver, configured to determine if the received data packet is a VoIP data packet qualifying for forwarding to a capture device, and a forwarder, associated with the VoIP identifier, configured to forward a copy of the qualifying VoIP data packet to at least one capture device, and to forward the received data packets back to the network.

Claims

1. An apparatus for Voice over IP capturing in a network, comprising:

a data receiver, tapping the network, and configured to receive at least one data packet transmitted in the network;

a VoIP identifier, associated with said data receiver, configured to determine if said received data packet is a VoIP data packet qualifying for forwarding to a capture device; and

a forwarder, associated with said VoIP identifier, configured to forward a copy of said qualifying VoIP data packet to at least one capture device, and to forward the received data packets back to the network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said VoIP identifier is further configured to find only a data packet used for implementing a VoIP telephony service qualifying for forwarding to a capture device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said forwarder is further configured to send said copy of said qualifying VoIP data packet to a respective device of a plurality of capture devices, and wherein said VoIP identifier is further configured to select said respective device according to a predefined forwarding-policy.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said predefined forwarding-policy comprises a hash formula, applied on said qualifying VoIP data packet.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said receiver is further configured to receive said data packets directly from a VoIP telephony device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data receiver further comprises a plurality of input channels, connected to the network, for receiving said data packets from the network, the apparatus further comprising at least one relay device, configured to connect a pair of said input channels, thereby to prevent link disconnection in the network.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said VoIP identifier is further configured to carry out said determining if said data packet is a VoIP data packet qualifying for forwarding to a capture device according to at least one predefined rule.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said VoIP identifier is further configured to find each of said received VoIP data packet qualifying for forwarding to a capture device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said VoIP identifier is configured to carry out said determining if said received data packet is a data packet qualifying for forwarding to a capture device according to a predefined list of Media access Control (MAC) addresses.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said VoIP identifier is configured to carry out said determining if said received data packet is a data packet qualifying for forwarding to a capture device according to a predefined list of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said VoIP identifier is configured to carry out said determining if said received data packet is a data packet qualifying for forwarding to a capture device, by detecting implementation of a predefined protocol in said data packet.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said VoIP identifier is configured to carry out said determining if said received data packet is a data packet qualifying for forwarding to a capture device, utilizing Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) data found in said data packet.

13. A system for Voice over IP capturing in a network, comprising:

a data receiver, tapping the network, and configured to receive at least one data packet transmitted in the network;

a VoIP identifier, associated with said data receiver, configured to determine if said received data packet is a VoIP data packet qualifying for forwarding to a capture device;

a remote capture device, configured to receive a copy of said qualifying VoIP data packet; and

a forwarder, associated with said VoIP Identifier, communicating with said remote capture device, and configured to forward a copy of said qualifying VoIP data packet to said remote capture device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said VoIP identifier is further configured to find only a VoiP data packet used for implementing a VoIP Telephony Service qualifying for forwarding to a capture device.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of remote capture devices, each device of said capture devices remotely communicating with said forwarder, wherein said forwarder is further configured to send each copy of said qualifying VoIP data packets to a respective device of said capture devices, and said VoIP identifier is further configured to select said respective device according to a predefined forwarding-policy.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said predefined forwarding-policy comprises a hash formula, applied on said qualifying VoIP data packet.

17. A method for Voice over IP capturing in a network, comprising:

receiving at least one data packet transmitted in the network, by tapping the network;

determining if said received data packet is a VoIP data packet qualifying for forwarding to a capture device;

forwarding a copy of each of said qualifying VoIP data packets to at least one capture device; and

forwarding said received data packets back to the network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein only a data packet used for implementing a VoIP Telephony Service is found to qualify for forwarding to a capture device.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising sending said copy of said qualifying VoIP data packet to a respective device of a plurality of capture devices, and selecting said respective device according to a predefined forwarding-policy.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said predefined forwarding-policy comprises a hash formula, applied on said qualifying VoIP data packet.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving said data packets directly from a VoIP telephony device.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein said determining if said received data packet qualifies for forwarding to a capture device is carried out according to at least one predefined rule.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising finding each VoiP data packet qualifying for forwarding to a capture device.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein said determining if said received data packet is a data packet qualifying for forwarding to a capture device is carried out according to a predefined list of Median access Control (MAC) addresses.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein said determining if said received data packet is a data packet qualifying for forwarding to a capture device is carried out according to a predefined list of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein said determining if said received data packet is a data packet qualifying for forwarding to a capture device is carried out by detecting implementation of a predefined protocol in said data packet.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein said determining if said received data packet is a data packet qualifying for forwarding to a capture device is carried out, utilizing Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) data found in said data packet.

28. A system for Voice over IP capturing in a network, comprising:

a centrally located capture device, configured to receive data packets from remote forwarders; and

a plurality of remote forwarders, said remote forwarders being deployed at respective local network locations, each of said remote forwarder tapping the network and configured to receive at least one data session from said local network and to forward said data session to said centrally located capture device.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein said remote forwarders are deployed at a common respective local network.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein said remote forwarders are deployed at least at two respective local networks.