SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING MULTICAST DATA TRANSMISSIONS

• US 20100205285A1
• Filed: 04/23/2010
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Global LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: ABBAZIA, Edward W. JR., PELISSON, James H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,477,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes

Abstract

A system enables monitoring a multicast data feeds over a network. The system may include a multicast-enabled network device for transmitting a multicast feed from a multicast feed source to a user device via a computer network. A feed agent may be operatively coupled to the multicast-enabled network device for collecting and storing multicast feed data from the multicast feed source. A management server may be operatively connected to the feed agent for receiving multicast feed data collected by the feed agent. The management server may include a web server for receiving requests for multicast feed data over the network via a web interface.

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A system for monitoring a multicast feed, the system comprising

a multicast-enabled network device to transmit the multicast feed from a multicast feed source to a user device via a network;

a feed agent, operatively coupled to the multicast-enabled network device, to collect and store statistical data relating to the multicast feed,

where the feed agent is further to;

execute a configuration file during start up, the configuration file including at least an indication of a user datagram protocol (UDP) port on the multicast-enabled network device to monitor and an Internet protocol (IP) address associated with the multicast feed; and

a management server, operatively coupled to the feed agent, to receive the statistical data collected by the feed agent, where the management server is to;

execute a configuration file during start up, the configuration file including at least an indication of a host name and IP address associated with the feed agent; and

identify a log interval time indicating a frequency with which polling of the feed agent is conducted.

32. The system of claim 31, where the multicast feed is transmitted from the multicast-enabled network device to the user device using a user datagram protocol (UDP), and where the feed agent is further to:

monitor data on a UDP port associated with the multicast feed.

33. The system of claim 31, where the collected statistical data relating to the multicast feed is transmitted from the feed agent to the management server using a transmission control protocol (TCP).

34. The system of claim 31, where the feed agent is to:

monitor the multicast feed received by the multicast-enabled network device; and

transmit the statistical data relating to the multicast feed to the management server in response to periodic requests from the management server.

35. The system of claim 34, where the feed agent is further to:

identify a log interval time indicating a time period during which collections of the statistical data relating to the multicast feed are conducted; and

identify a transmission control protocol (TCP) port associated with incoming requests from the management server.

36. The system of claim 31, where the management server is further to:

determine whether a database is available to store the received the statistical data relating to the multicast feed; and

write the received statistical data to a flat data file when the database is not available.

37. The system of claim 31, where the management server is to:

identify a hard disk drive threshold during start up;

periodically determine if available hard disk drive space is less than the hard disk drive threshold; and

send a notification to a trap destination address when the available hard disk drive space is less than the hard disk drive threshold.

38. A method for monitoring a multicast feed transmitted via a network, the method comprising:

executing, by a server, a configuration file during start up, the configuration file including at least an indication of a host name and an Internet protocol (IP) address associated with a feed agent;

identifying, by the server, a log interval time indicating a time period during which agent polling is conducted;

receiving, at a network device connected to the feed agent, the multicast feed from a data source;

logging, at the feed agent and during the log interval time, data statistics regarding the multicast feed;

transmitting the multicast feed to a user device; and

transmitting the logged data statistics to the server.

39. The method of claim 38, where the multicast feed comprises a user datagram protocol (UDP) data feed, and where logging the data statistics comprises:

monitoring data on a UDP port associated with the multicast feed.

40. The method of claim 38, where the logged data statistics are transmitted to the server upon request using a transmission control protocol (TCP).

41. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

executing a configuration file during start up of the feed agent, the configuration file including at least an indication of a user datagram protocol (UDP) port on the network device to monitor, and an IP address associated with the multicast feed.

42. The method of claim 38, where logging data statistics regarding the multicast feed further comprises:

capturing a sequence number associated with multicast data units included in the multicast feed; and

capturing a calculating a number of missing messages associated with the multicast feed.

43. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

receiving, at a web server associated with the server, a request from a client system for information relating to the logged data statistics;

retrieving the requested logged data statistics; and

transmitting the requested logged data statistics to the client system for display in substantially real time.

44. The method of claim 43, where receiving the request from the client device for information relating to the logged data statistics comprises:

receiving, at a web server associated with the server, a log interval time indicating a frequency with which the information relating to the logged data statistics are to be transmitted.

45. A computer-readable memory device containing instructions for controlling one or more processors to perform a method for monitoring a multicast feed transmitted via a network, the method comprising:

identifying, by the server, a log interval time indicating a time period during which agent polling is conducted;

receiving, at a network device connected to a feed agent, the multicast feed from a data source;

logging, at the feed agent and during the log interval time, data statistics regarding the multicast feed;

transmitting the multicast feed to a user device;

periodically transmitting the logged data statistics to the server;

determining whether the logged data statistics are received by the server in response to transmitting the logged data statistics;

sending a notification to a trap destination address when the logged data statistics are not received; and

storing the logged data statistics in a database associated with the server when the logged data statistics are received.

46. The computer-readable memory device of claim 45, where the multicast feed comprises a user datagram protocol (UDP) data feed.

47. The computer-readable memory device of claim 45, where the logged data statistics are transmitted to the server upon request using a transmission control protocol (TCP).

48. The computer-readable memory device of claim 45, the method further comprising:

executing a configuration file during start up of the feed agent, the configuration file including at least an indication of a user datagram protocol (UDP) port on the network device to monitor, and an IP address associated with the multicast feed.

49. The computer-readable memory device of claim 45, where logging data statistics regarding the multicast feed further comprises:

capturing a sequence number associated with multicast data units included in the multicast feed; and

capturing a retransmission identification associated with the multicast data units.

50. The computer-readable memory device of claim 45, further comprising:

receiving, at a web server associated with the server, a request from a client system for information relating to the logged data statistics;

retrieving the requested logged data statistics; and

transmitting the requested logged data statistics to the client system for display in substantially real time.