Systems and Methods for Monitoring A Remote Network

• US 20090287815A1
• Filed: 05/19/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eddy H. Wright
• Original Assignee: Electrodata, Inc.
• Inventors: Robbins, Robert J., Wright, Eddy H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,024,459 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

One embodiment relates to a method for monitoring a remote network over the Internet. In the method, a monitoring request from a client is received from over the Internet at a server. The server transmits a relayed monitoring request over the Internet to a remote network monitor. The remote network monitor is adapted to passively monitor the remote network based on the monitoring request, thereby detecting whether an unfavorable communication condition is met the remote network.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a remote network over the Internet, comprising:

receiving at a server a monitoring request from a client over the Internet;

transmitting a relayed monitoring request from the server over the Internet to a remote network monitor, where the remote network monitor is adapted to passively monitor the remote network and report a result based on the relayed monitoring request, thereby detecting whether an unfavorable communication condition occurs on the remote network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to receiving the monitoring request, receiving at the server a preliminary connection from the remote network monitor over the Internet.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a connection between the client and remote network monitor based on the relayed monitoring request.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

intermittently or continuously receiving monitoring results at the server from the remote network monitor while the connection is established; and

relaying the monitoring results from the server to the client while the connection is established.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a test request from the client; and

transmitting a relayed test request over the Internet, where the relayed test request is adapted to cause a dedicated network tester to generate a predetermined test stimulus on the remote network, the predetermined test stimulus being specified by the test request.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving at the server a test result that corresponds to the predetermined test stimulus; and

relaying the test result from the server to the client.

7. A method for monitoring a remote network over the Internet, comprising:

receiving at a server a notification over the Internet from a remote network monitor, where the notification is indicative that the remote network monitor detected an unfavorable communication condition in the remote network;

relaying the notification from the server over the Internet to a customer associated with the remote network.

8. The method of claim 7, where relaying the notification to the customer comprises:

sending a text message, instant message, pager message, email message, or voice message to the customer.

9. The method of claim 7, where the remote network monitor autonomously monitors a communication medium of the remote network independent of the server to facilitate detection of the unfavorable communication condition.

10. The method of claim 7, where the remote network monitor has an impedance that is at least twice a characteristic impedance of the communication medium and is sufficiently great to not interfere with communications on the remote network.

11. The method of claim 7, where passively monitoring the remote network for data errors comprises:

checking signal levels on the remote network, checking CRC codes transmitted on the remote network, checking framing bits transmitted between nodes, or checking bipolar violations on the remote network.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

after the notification was relayed to the customer, receiving at the server a monitoring request from a client associated with the customer; and

transmitting a relayed monitoring request from the server to the remote network monitor to facilitate monitoring of the unfavorable communication condition.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a test request from the client; and

transmitting a relayed test request over the Internet, where the relayed test request is adapted to cause a dedicated network tester to generate a predetermined test stimulus on the remote network, the predetermined test stimulus corresponding to the test request.

14. A method for monitoring a remote network over the Internet, comprising:

carrying out server-mediated or direct communication between a client and at least one remote network monitor over the Internet;

where the remote network monitor is strategically positioned in relation to a demarcation line of the remote network to identify whether an unfavorable communication condition originates external to the remote network or to identify a location at which the unfavorable condition originates within the remote network.

15. The method of claim 14, where the remote network monitor detects the unfavorable communication condition by passively monitoring the remote network for data errors without transmitting signals into the remote network.

16. The method of claim 14, where the remote network monitor includes a cellular telecommunications interface.

17. A server adapted to facilitate monitoring of a remote network, comprising:

a client interface configured to receive a monitoring request from a client over the Internet, wherein the monitoring request specifies a remote network monitor within a remote network; and

a remote network monitor interface adapted to relay the monitoring request over the Internet to the remote network monitor.

18. The server of claim 17, where the client and remote network monitor interfaces are adapted to establish communication between the client and remote network monitor through one or more firewall.

19. The server of claim 17, where the client and remote network monitor interfaces are adapted to establish communication between the client and remote network monitor when a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server dynamically assigns an IP address to the client or remote network monitor.

20. The server of claim 17, where the remote network monitor interface is further adapted to receive a test result or notification from the network monitor that is indicative whether the remote network exhibits an unfavorable communication condition.

21. The server of claim 20, where the client interface is further configured to relay the test result or the notification to the client.

22. The server of claim 21, where the client network interface is configured to relay the notification to the client as a text message, instant message, pager message, email message, or voice message.

23. The server of claim 17, where the client interface is further configured to receive a test request from the client, wherein the test request specifies a network tester within the remote network.

24. The server of claim 23, further comprising:

a remote network tester interface adapted to relay the test request to the network tester.

25. A remote network monitor adapted to monitor a remote network, comprising:

a client/server interface adapted to receive a monitoring request from over the Internet;

a remote network interface having an impedance that is sufficient to not interfere with communications on the remote network and adapted to respond to the monitoring request by passively monitoring a communication medium associated with the remote network.

26. The remote network monitor of claim 25, where the client/server interface comprises a wireline or wireless local area network (LAN) interface.

27. The remote network monitor of claim 25, where the client/server interface includes a cellular telecommunications interface that is adapted to be coupled to a cellular antenna.

28. The remote network monitor of claim 25, where the client/server interface is adapted to communicate with a client in peer-to-peer mode in which the client has a first static IP address and the remote network monitor has a second static IP address.

29. The remote network monitor of claim 25, where the remote network interface is adapted to record data or telephony communications on the remote network under direction of a client.

30. A communication system, comprising:

a client adapted to transmit a monitoring request for network monitoring to be performed on a remote network;

a server adapted to receive the monitoring request and transmit a relayed monitoring request, where the relayed monitoring request is based on the monitoring request; and

at least one remote network monitor that comprises;

a client/server interface adapted to receive the relayed monitoring request; and

a remote network interface adapted to passively monitor the remote network to obtain a monitoring result based on remote network communications.

31. The communication system of claim 30, where multiple remote network monitors are arranged in the remote network, and where the client communicates with more than one of the multiple remote network monitors via a single remote network monitor.

32. The communication system of claim 30, where the at least one remote network monitor is adapted to monitor a loopback code between two network nodes of the remote network.

33. The communication system of claim 30, further comprising:

an Ethernet communications network through which the client and server communicate with the remote network monitor.

34. A method for monitoring a remote network over the Internet, comprising:

receiving at a server a monitoring request from a client over the Internet;

transmitting a relayed monitoring request from the server over a cellular telephone network to a remote monitor, where the remote network monitor is adapted to passively monitor the remote network and report a result based on the relayed monitoring request, thereby detecting whether an unfavorable communication condition occurs on the remote network.