System and Method for Monitoring a Data Packet

• US 20100309809A1
• Filed: 08/09/2010
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Holdings LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Liu, Chia J.
• Application Number:
  US12/852,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20100309809A1
• 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

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A method, comprising:

sending, by a computer, a first plurality of data packets into a network, each of the first plurality of sent data packets having a same indicated destination, a same first time-to-live (TTL) indication, and a different header marking;

sending, by the computer, a second plurality of data packets into the network, each of the second plurality of sent data packets having the same indicated destination, a same second TTL indication different from the first TTL indication, and a different header marking;

for each of the first and second pluralities of sent data packets, the computer receiving a reply data packet that identifies the sent data packet, that identifies the computer as a destination of the reply data packet, and that further identifies a header marking;

for each of the reply data packets, the computer determining the header marking identified by the reply data packet; and

generating data representing, for each of the first and second TTL indications, the determined header markings of the reply data packets that correspond to the sent data packets having that TTL indication.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein each of the header markings comprises a differentiated services code point (DSCP) marking.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein each of the header markings comprises experimental (EXP) bits of a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) marking.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein each of the header markings comprises a quality-of-service (QoS) marking.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein each of the reply data packets comprises an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) message.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising displaying on a display device, for each of the first and second TTL indications, an indication of the determined header markings of the reply data packets that correspond to the sent data packets having that TTL indication.

28. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

an interface coupled to the processor and configured to be coupled to a network,

wherein the apparatus is configured to;

send a first plurality of data packets into the network, each of the first plurality of sent data packets having a same indicated destination, a same first time-to-live (TTL) indication, and a different header marking;

send a second plurality of data packets into the network, each of the second plurality of sent data packets having the same indicated destination, a same second TTL indication different from the first TTL indication, and a different header marking;

for each of a plurality of received reply data packets that each identifies one of the first or second pluralities of sent data packets, that each identifies the apparatus as a destination of the reply data packet, and that each identifies a header marking, determine the header marking identified by the reply data packet; and

generate data representing, for each of the first and second TTL indications, the determined header markings of the reply data packets that correspond to the sent data packets having that TTL indication.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein each of the header markings comprises a differentiated services code point (DSCP) marking.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein each of the header markings comprises experimental (EXP) bits of a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) marking.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein each of the header markings comprises a quality-of-service (QoS) marking.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein each of the reply data packets comprises an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) message.

33. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising a display device, wherein the apparatus is further configured to cause the display device to display, for each of the first and second TTL indications, an indication of the determined header markings of the reply data packets that correspond to the sent data packets having that TTL indication.

34. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for a computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

outputting a first plurality of data packets, each of the first plurality of output data packets having a same indicated network destination, a same first time-to-live (TTL) indication, and a different header marking;

outputting a second plurality of data packets, each of the second plurality of output data packets having the same indicated network destination, a same second TTL indication different from the first TTL indication, and a different header marking;

responsive to receiving, for each of the first and second pluralities of output data packets, a reply data packet that identifies the sent data packet, that identifies the computer as a destination of the reply data packet, and that further identifies a header marking;

determining, for each of the reply data packets, the header marking identified by the reply data packet; and

generating data representing, for each of the first and second TTL indications, the determined header markings of the reply data packets that correspond to the output data packets having that TTL indication.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein each of the header markings comprises a differentiated services code point (DSCP) marking.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein each of the header markings comprises experimental (EXP) bits of a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) marking.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein each of the header markings comprises a quality-of-service (QoS) marking.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein at least some of the reply data packets each comprises an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) message, and wherein at least some others of the reply data packets each comprises an ICMP time-exceeded message.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein one of the reply data packets corresponding to one of the data packets of the first plurality of data packets comprises an ICMP port unreachable message, and one of the reply data packets corresponding to one of the data packets of the second plurality of data packets also comprises an ICMP port unreachable message.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the method further comprises sending each of the data packets of the first and second pluralities of data packets from the computer to a network that includes the network destination, and wherein the reply data packets are received by the computer from the network.

41. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the method further comprises displaying on a display device, for each of the first and second TTL indications, an indication of the determined header markings of the reply data packets that correspond to the sent data packets having that TTL indication.