System, apparatus and method of determining associated data

• US 20070097997A1
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Scobbie, Donald, Saunders, Paul, Maclean, Ian
• Granted Patent: US 7,720,028 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/106 across networks, e.g. mapping telephone numbers to data network addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

In the field of monitoring communications systems, it is necessary for a monitoring system to be aware of an association of a Mobile Country Code (MCC), a Mobile Network Code (MNC) and an IP Address of a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) of a first network when a mobile terminal is roaming into a second network. Probes monitoring links with the second network generate transaction data. The transaction data is generated from messages communicated as part of a dialogue to establish a data “tunnel” between a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) of the second network and the GGSN of the first network. The MCC, MNC and IP address data are extracted from the transaction data and used to update an address network name table.

Claims

1. A monitoring system for determining an IP address of a node, a communications network comprising the node and a country comprising the network, the system comprising:

a monitoring unit arranged to observe at least one transaction associated with activation of a service for support by the node;

a processing resource arranged to identify, when in use, from amongst the at least one transaction observed first identification data indicative of the country and second identification data indicative of the network and an IP address associated with the first and second identification data; and

a store for storing data indicative of the association between the extracted IP address and the first and second identification data.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service is a data service.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the node is a Support Node.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the Support Node is a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN).

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one transaction relates to a Domain Name Service dialogue.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one transaction relates to establishment of a data tunnel.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one transaction relates to an update concerning an established data tunnel.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing resource is arranged to identify a source IP address associated with the first and second identification data and use at least part of the source IP address to infer from the data stored in the store third identification data indicative of a country and fourth identification data indicative of a network associated with a location of a communications terminal.

9. An apparatus for determining an IP address of a node, a communications network comprising the node and a country comprising the network, the apparatus comprising:

an input for receiving at least one transaction observed and associated with activation of a service for support by the node;

a processing resource arranged to identify, when in use, from amongst the at least one transaction observed first identification data indicative of the country and second identification data indicative of the network and an IP address associated with the first and second identification data; and

a store for storing the association between the extracted IP address and the first and second identification data.

12. A computer program code element comprising computer program code means to make a computer execute the method as claimed in claim 9.

13. A computer program code element as claimed in claim 12, embodied on a computer readable medium.

10. A method of determining an IP address of a node, a communications network comprising the node and a country comprising the network, the method comprising:

observing at least one transaction associated with activation of a service supported by the node;

identifying from amongst the at least one transaction observed first identification data indicative of the country and second identification data indicative of the network and an IP address associated with the first and second identification data; and

storing data indicative of the association between the extracted IP address and the first and second identification data.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

identifying a source IP address associated with the first and second identification data; and

using at least part of the source IP address to infer from the stored data third identification data indicative of a country and fourth identification data indicative of a network associated with a location of a communications terminal.

14. A use of observing at least one transaction associated with activation of a service for supported by a node to determine an IP address of the node, a communications network comprising the node and a country comprising the network.