Systems and Methods to Monitor a Network

• US 20090059807A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schine, Bruce Alden, Tomalenas, Paul A.
• Application Number:
  US12/201,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20090059807A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5067 Customer-centric QoS measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput

Abstract

Systems and methods to monitor a network are provided. A particular method includes determining a data packet delivery rate between a first edge switch and a second edge switch coupled to a network. The method also includes sending the data packet delivery rate to a user device, operably coupled to a customer equipment side of the first edge switch, as graphical user interface display data.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining a data packet delivery rate between a first edge switch coupled to a network and a second edge switch coupled to the network; and

sending the data packet delivery rate to a user device, operably coupled to a customer equipment side of the first edge switch, as graphical user interface display data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data packet delivery rate is determined by collecting a plurality of data packets, wherein the plurality of data packets are reflected from the second edge switch to the first edge switch.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of data packets are injected into the network at the first edge switch.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a latency value based at least partially on the plurality of data packets; and

sending the latency value to the user device.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a jitter value based at least partially on the plurality of data packets; and

sending the jitter value to the user device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface display data comprises configuration data related to the network.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the configuration data includes a graphical representation of the network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface display data comprises service level information indicated by color.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface display data comprises information regarding a service level agreement.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface display data comprises trouble information related to the network.

11. A memory device, comprising

instructions that are executable by a processor to cause the processor to collect a plurality of reflected data packets, wherein the plurality of reflected data packets are reflected from a destination device to a source device of a network;

and

instructions that are executable by the processor to cause the processor to report results from the collecting of the plurality of reflected data packets to a user device operably coupled to a customer equipment side of the source device.

12. The memory of claim 11, when a plurality of data packets are injected into the network, and wherein the plurality of reflected data packets include at least a portion of the plurality of data packets injected into the network.

13. The memory of claim 11, wherein reporting the results from the collecting of the plurality of reflected data packets to the user device comprises generating a graphical user interface including service level information related to the network.

14. The memory of claim 13, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a matrix including service level information related to a portion of the network.

15. The memory of claim 11, wherein the results from the collecting of the plurality of reflected data packets include an average jitter value.

16. The memory of claim 11, wherein the results from the collecting of the plurality of reflected data packets include a packet delivery rate.

17. The memory of claim 11, wherein the results from the collecting of the plurality of reflected data packets include a total number of data packets reflected from the destination device.

18. A memory device, comprising

instructions that are executable by a processor to cause the processor to determine a data packet delivery rate between a first edge switch coupled to a network and a second edge switch coupled to the network;

and

instructions that are executable by the processor to cause the processor to send the data packet delivery rate to a user device as graphical user interface display data, wherein the user device is operably coupled to a customer equipment side of the first edge switch.

19. The memory device of claim 18, further comprising instructions that are executable by the processor to cause the processor to determine a total number of data packet reflected from the second edge switch to the first edge switch, wherein the data packet delivery rate is determined based on the total number of the data packets reflected.

20. The memory device of claim 18, wherein the network comprises a switched metro Ethernet network.