METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING NON-INTRUSIVE NETWORK LAYER PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT IN COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

• US 20090164626A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.), Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Freeman, Joel, Roll, Jonathan, Smith, Barbara
• Granted Patent: US 8,706,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• 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 41/5032 Generating service level reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for performing non-intrusive network layer performance measurement in communication networks are disclosed. An example method to measure network layer performance between existing network nodes disclosed herein comprises coupling a first intelligent network interface (INI) to an available access port of a first existing network node providing access to a network, wherein the first INI obtains power and input information only from the access port after being coupled thereto, and exchanging test messages between the first INI and a second INI coupled to a second existing network node during normal operation of the first and second existing network nodes to measure network layer performance, wherein the test messages originate in the first INI and are routed through the first and second existing network nodes using a first network layer address associated with the first INI and a second network layer address associated with the second INI.

Claims

1. A method to measure network layer performance between existing network nodes, the method comprising:

coupling a first intelligent network interface (INI) to an available access port of a first existing network node providing access to a network, wherein the first INI obtains power and input information only from the access port after being coupled thereto; and

exchanging test messages between the first INI and a second INI coupled to a second existing network node during normal operation of the first and second existing network nodes to measure network layer performance, wherein the test messages originate in the first INI and are routed through the first and second existing network nodes using a first network layer address associated with the first INI and a second network layer address associated with the second INI.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the available access port of the first existing network node is a first available access port, and wherein the normal operation of the first and second existing network nodes comprises exchanging network traffic between a user device and the network through a second access port of the first existing network node at substantially the same time the test messages are exchanged between the first INI and the second INI.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein coupling the first INI to the available access port of the first existing network node comprises connecting the first INI to an interface of the first existing network node, wherein the interface comprises at least one of a small form-factor pluggable (SFP) transceiver, a ten gigabit SFP (XFP) transceiver, a transceiver compliant with the XENPACK standard or a gigabit interface converter.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein coupling the first INI to the available access port of the first existing network node comprises connecting the first INI to an interface of the first existing network node, wherein the interface comprises a registered jack (RJ) 45 interface.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising sending reporting messages from the first INI to a data collection facility coupled to the network, wherein the reporting messages originate in the first INI and are based on the exchanged test messages, and wherein the reporting messages are used by the data collection facility to determine at least one of network layer packet delay, network layer packet loss, network layer jitter or network layer throughput between the first and second existing network nodes.

6. A method as defined in claim 5 further comprising sending a configuration command over the network to the first INI to configure at least one of a reporting message transmission criterion or a destination address for the reporting messages.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising sending a configuration command over the network to the first INI to set a destination address for the test messages originating within the first INI to be the second network layer address associated with the second INI.

8. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the test messages comprise a first test message and a second test message, and wherein exchanging the test messages between the first INI and the second INI comprises:

originating the first test message in the first INI;

transmitting the first test message to the second INI; and

receiving the second test message from the second INI in response to the second INI receiving the first test message.

9. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the first existing network node implements a first resident test mode for measuring network layer performance and the second existing network node implements a second resident test mode for measuring network layer performance, wherein the first and second resident test modes are substantially incompatible, and wherein the test messages are exchanged between the first INI and the second INI for measuring network layer performance without invoking the substantially incompatible first and second resident test modes of the respective first and second existing network nodes.

10. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the first network layer address comprises a first Internet protocol address and the second network layer address comprises a second Internet protocol address.

11. An article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a first intelligent network interface (INI) coupled to an available access port of a first existing network node included in a network to:

obtain power and input information only from the access port of the first existing network node after being coupled thereto;

send a first test message to a second INI coupled to an available access port of a second existing network node included in the network to measure network layer performance between the first and second existing network nodes; and

receive a response to the first test message from the second INI, wherein the first test message originates in the first INI and is routed through the first and second existing network nodes using a first network layer address associated with the first INI and a second network layer address associated with the second INI.

12. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 11 wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, further cause the first INI to send a reporting message to a data collection facility coupled to the network, wherein the reporting message originates in the first INI and is based on the first test message, and wherein the reporting message is used to enable determination of at least one of network layer packet delay, network layer packet loss, network layer jitter or network layer throughput between the first and second existing network nodes.

13. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 12 wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, further cause the first INI to configure at least one of a reporting message transmission criterion or a destination address for the reporting message in response to a configuration command received over the network.

14. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 11 wherein the first network layer address comprises a first Internet protocol address and the second network layer address comprises a second Internet protocol address.

15. An intelligent network interface (INI) apparatus to measure network layer performance between existing network nodes of a network, the apparatus comprising:

a network interface configured to couple with an available access port of an existing network node to provide access to the network and to provide power and input information from the available access port after being coupled thereto; and

a test message processor configured to autonomously generate a test message to exchange with a destination INI during normal operation of the existing network node using a network layer address associated with the destination INI.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein the network interface is further configured to provide power and input information only from the available access port after being coupled thereto.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein the network layer address is a first network layer address, and further comprising a configuration management unit to process a configuration command received by the network interface, wherein the configuration command is addressed to the apparatus using a second network layer address associated with the apparatus.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 17 wherein the apparatus is a self-contained device provided solely for network layer performance measurement.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 further comprising a reporting message processor to prepare a reporting message to send to a data collection facility to determine at least one of network layer packet delay, network layer packet loss, network layer jitter or network layer throughput in the network.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 further comprising a storage unit to store at least one of the exchanged test message or a response to the exchanged test message.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein the network interface comprises at least one of a small form-factor pluggable (SFP) transceiver, a ten gigabit SFP (XFP) transceiver, a transceiver compliant with the XENPACK standard or a gigabit interface converter.

22. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein the network interface comprises a registered jack (RJ) 45 interface.

23. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein the network layer address comprises an Internet protocol address.

24. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein the available access port of the existing network node is a first available access port, and wherein the normal operation of the existing network node comprises exchanging network traffic between a user device and the network through a second access port of the existing network node at substantially the same time the test message processor exchanges the test message with the destination INI.

25. An apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein the existing network node implements a resident test mode for measuring network layer performance, and wherein the test message is exchanged with the destination INI for measuring network layer performance without invoking the resident test mode of the existing network node.