Systems and Methods of Network Monitoring

• US 20070223481A1
• Filed: 02/23/2007
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Asankya, Inc. (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Sivakumar, Raghupathy, Velayutham, Aravind
• Granted Patent: US 7,742,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/02 Capturing of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/028 by filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control

Abstract

Systems and methods of network monitoring are disclosed. One exemplary method includes receiving a first packet, creating a filter instance if the first received packet matches a filter template, receiving a second packet, and storing the second received packet if the second received packet matches the created filter instance. The filter instance is based at least partially on the filter template. An exemplary system includes a network interface, a memory, and a processor. The memory stores program code which programs the network monitor device to receive a first packet, create a filter instance if the first received packet matches a filter template, receive a second packet, and store the second received packet if the second received packet matches the created filter instance. The filter instance is based at least partially on the filter template.

Claims

1. A method for network monitoring comprising the steps of:

receiving a first packet;

creating a filter instance if the first received packet matches a filter template, the filter instance based at least partially on the filter template;

receiving a second packet; and

storing the second received packet if the second received packet matches the created filter instance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the filter instance is based at least partially on the first received packet.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining whether the first received packet matches one or more of a plurality of filter templates.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining whether the first received packet matches one or more of a plurality of pre-defined filter templates.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

determining whether the first received packet matches one or more of a plurality of user-defined filter templates created by a user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

creating a filter instance based at least in part on a protocol header field contained in a third received packet and at least in part on a wildcard value found in one of a plurality of filter templates.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

creating a filter instance based at least in part on information contained in a third received packet and at least in part on one of a plurality of predefined filter templates.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

creating a filter instance based at least in part on a protocol header field contained in a third received packet and at least in part on a wildcard value found in one of a plurality of predefined filter templates.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

adding the created filter instance to a list of filter instances.

10. A network monitor device comprising:

a network interface;

memory having program code stored thereon; and

a processor programmed by at least the program code to enable the network monitor device to;

receive a first packet from the network interface;

create a filter instance if the first received packet matches a filter template, the filter instance based at least partially on the filter template;

receive a second packet from the network interface; and

store the second received packet if the second received packet matches the created filter instance.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the filter instance is based at least partially on the first received packet.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

determining whether the first received packet matches one or more of a plurality of filter templates.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

receive a description of the filter template.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

receive a description of the filter template including at least one protocol header field and at least one value associated with the at least one protocol header field.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

receive a description of the filter template including at least one protocol header field and at least one value associated with the at least one protocol header field, the at least one value selected from a plurality of values which includes a wildcard value.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

receive a description of the filter template including at least one protocol header field and at least one value associated with the at least one protocol header field, the at least one value selected from a plurality of values which includes a wildcard value and a don'"'"'t care value.

17. A system for network monitoring comprising:

means for receiving a first packet;

means for creating a filter instance if the first received packet matches a filter template, the filter instance based at least partially on the filter template;

means for receiving a second packet; and

means for storing the second received packet if the second received packet matches the created filter instance.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for receiving a monitor request from a remote device, the request including a filter instance and an address;

means for capturing packets in accordance with the filter instance; and

means for sending a report associated with the captured packets to the address in the request.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for storing all of a plurality of packets received during a time window, the duration of the time window specified by a user.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

means for displaying at least a portion of the received plurality of packets, the portion specified by a user as a number of time windows.