Method and system for simplified network wide traffic and/or flow monitoring in a data network

• US 20070189189A1
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yadav, Navindra, Murthy, Shree, Andrews, Robert, Pandian, Gnanaprakasam
• Granted Patent: US 7,804,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4675 Dynamic sharing of VLAN information amongst network nodes configuration of the network or of network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4695 VTP [VLAN trunking protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events

Abstract

Method and system for providing dynamic network data traffic monitoring including monitoring a data network, detecting a change in the data network, initiating a span session based on the detected change in the data network, and dynamically modifying network configuration based on the detected change in the data network is disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of providing dynamic network data traffic monitoring, comprising:

monitoring a data network;

detecting a change in the data network;

initiating a span session based on the detected change in the data network; and

dynamically modifying network configuration based on the detected change in the data network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step of initiating a span session includes the steps of:

allocating a virtual LAN (VLAN) for the span session; and

retrieving a span source and a span destination information.

3. The method of claim 2 further including the step of storing the span source information, the span destination information and the span session information.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of retrieving the span source and the span destination information includes the step of receiving the span source and destination information associated with the change in the data network from an administrator.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of dynamically modifying the network configuration includes the step of performing a VLAN trunking protocol (VTP) configuration associated with the span session.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of dynamically modifying the network configuration includes the steps of:

determining a connection of the span source and the span destination; and

enabling one of a local SPAN session, a remote SPAN session, or a SPAN tunneling for the span source and destination.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of enabling the local SPAN session includes the steps of:

determining a network device connected to both the span source and the span destination on the network; and

enabling a local SPAN session on the network device.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of enabling the remote SPAN session includes the step determining a network device connected to the span source and the span destination by a layer 2 Ethernet switched network.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of enabling SPAN tunneling includes the steps of:

determining a first router connected to the span source and a second router connected to the span destination in the data network; and

determining the first router and the second router directly connected to two layer 2 Ethernet switched networks in the data network.

10. A method of providing dynamic network data traffic monitoring, comprising:

monitoring a data network;

detecting a change in a port of the data network;

allocating a virtual LAN (VLAN) for a span session associated with the change in the port;

retrieving a span source and a span destination information; and

modifying network configuration based on the detected change in the data network.

11. The method of claim 10 further including the step of storing the span source information, the span destination information and the span session information.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of modifying the network configuration includes the step of performing a VLAN trunking protocol (VTP) configuration associated with the span session.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of modifying the network configuration includes the steps of:

determining a connection of the span source and the span destination; and

enabling one of a local SPAN session, a remote SPAN session, or a SPAN tunneling for the span source and destination.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of enabling the local SPAN session includes the steps of:

determining a network device connected to both the span source and the span destination on the network; and

enabling a local SPAN session on the network device.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of enabling the remote SPAN session includes the step determining a network device connected to the span source and the span destination by a layer 2 Ethernet switched network.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of enabling SPAN tunneling includes the steps of:

determining a first router connected to the span source and a second router connected to the span destination in the data network; and

determining the first router and the second router directly connected to two layer 2 Ethernet switched networks in the data network.

17. A system for monitoring and dynamically configuring a data network;

comprising;

a data network;

a client terminal coupled to the data network;

a network device coupled to the data network; and

a controller unit coupled to the data network, the controller configured to monitor client terminal data traffic, and further, wherein the controller unit is configured to initiate a span session based on a change in the monitored client terminal data traffic, and wherein the controller unit is configured to dynamically modify network configuration based on the detected change.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein, the controller unit configured to initiate the span session is further configured to allocate a virtual LAN (VLAN) for the span session, and to retrieve a span source and a span destination information associated with the detected change of the client terminal data traffic.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the controller unit is further configured to store the span source information, the span destination information and the span session information.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the controller unit is configured to perform a VLAN trunking protocol (VTP) configuration associated with the span session to dynamically modify the network configuration based on the detected change.

21. A system for providing dynamic network data traffic monitoring, comprising:

means for monitoring a data network;

means for detecting a change in the data network;

means for initiating a span session based on the detected change in the data network; and

means for dynamically modifying network configuration based on the detected change in the data network.

22. A method of providing dynamic network data traffic monitoring, comprising:

transmitting a request to access a data network;

receiving information associated with a virtual LAN (VLAN) allocated for a span session corresponding to the data network access request; and

accessing the data network.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein step of receiving information associated with the VLAN includes the step of receiving a span source and a span destination information.

24. The method of claim 23 further including the step of storing the span source information, the span destination information and the span session information.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of accessing the data network includes the step of receiving information associated with a VLAN trunking protocol (VTP) configuration for the span session.