System and method for monitoring a data packet

• US 20080056153A1
• Filed: 09/01/2006
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Holdings LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Liu, Chia J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,796,535 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity

Abstract

The embodiments described herein include a system and method for monitoring a packet adapted to traverse a network having a plurality of devices. The system and method enable an operator to efficiently determine the marking of a packet at each intermediate hop and the destination within a network by executing an algorithm through the use of an operating system.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a packet adapted to traverse a network having a plurality of devices, the method comprising:

detecting a route of the packet as the packet traverses the network;

detecting a marking of the packet at each device in the network; and

providing an indication of the marking at each device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the marking is a differentiated services code point (DSCP) marking.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is configured for multi-topology routing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing an indication of the marking at each device includes displaying the route of the packet and a corresponding DSCP marking.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein displaying the route of the packet and a corresponding DSCP marking further includes displaying, at each device, a mapped multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) marking that corresponds with the DSCP marking.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) enabled network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is at least one of a router, a server and a deep packet inspection device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a marking of the packet at each device in the network includes reading a type of service (TOS) byte within a header in a payload section of an internet control message protocol (ICMP) message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the header is at least one of an internet protocol version four (IPv4) header or an internet protocol version six (IPv6) header.

10. A monitoring system for monitoring a packet adapted to traverse a network having a plurality of devices, the system comprising:

an operating system for causing the transmission of a packet that is received by an intermediate device and a destination device; and

a processor being operable with the operating system, the processor monitoring a marking of the packet at the intermediate device and destination device, and providing an indication of the marking.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the marking is a differentiated services code point (DSCP) marking.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the network is configured for multi-topology routing.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein providing an indication of the marking at each device includes displaying the route of the packet and a corresponding DSCP marking.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein displaying the route of the packet and a corresponding DSCP marking further includes displaying, at each device, a mapped multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) marking that corresponds with the DSCP marking.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the network is a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) enabled network.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the device is at least one of a router, a server and a deep packet inspection device.

17. A method of monitoring at least one packet adapted to traverse a network having multiple hops, the method comprising:

setting a differentiated services code point (DSCP) marking for the packet;

setting a time to live (TTL) value for the packet;

transmitting a packet from a source device to a device;

decrementing the TTL value of the packet by a value of one at the device;

generating an internet control message protocol (ICMP) message if the TTL value is decremented to a value of zero, wherein the ICMP message has the DSCP marking of the packet as seen by the device;

receiving the ICMP message at the source device having the DSCP marking of the packet; and

displaying, in the form of a list, the DSCP marking for the packet at the device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the device has an internet protocol (IP) address and the packet contains an IP address of a destination device;

and

wherein generating an internet control message protocol (ICMP) message if the TTL value is decremented to a value of zero includes;

generating an ICMP time exceeded message if the IP address of the device is not the same as the IP address for the destination device that is contained within the packet.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the device has an internet protocol (IP) address and the packet contains an IP address of a destination device;

and

wherein generating an internet control message protocol (ICMP) message if the TTL value is decremented to a value of zero includes;

generating an ICMP port unreachable message if the IP address of the device is the same as the IP address for the destination device that is contained within the packet.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying, in the form of a list, a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) bit marking that is mapped to the DSCP marking.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein transmitting the packet further includes transmitting sixty-four packets, each having a different DSCP marking;

and

wherein displaying, in the form of a list, the DSCP marking for the packet includes;

displaying the DSCP marking for each of the sixty-four packets.