System and Method for Network Topology and Flow Visualization

• US 20130159863A1
• Filed: 02/22/2013
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LiveAction, Inc.
• Original Assignee: LiveAction, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, John Kei, Pierce, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,246,772 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/734
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

A graphical user interface including an object representing a network device is rendered. Interface objects respectively corresponding to each internal interface of the network device are rendered within the object representing the network device. A network flow record for a network flow through the network device is acquired. The network flow record identifies ingress and egress interfaces of the network device for the network flow. Switching information for the network flow within the network device is determined based on the ingress and egress identifications. A transmission path of the network flow within the network device from the ingress interface is rendered within the object representing the network device. The transmission path is defined by the switching information identified by the network flow record.

Claims

1. A method for visualization of internal network flow within a network device, comprising:

rendering, on a computer system display, a graphical user interface including an object representing a network device;

rendering, on the computer system display within the object representing the network device, interface objects respectively corresponding to each internal interface of the network device;

acquiring, using a computer, a network flow record for a network flow through the network device, the network flow record identifying an ingress interface of the network device for the network flow and identifying an egress interface of the network device for the network flow;

determining, using the computer, switching information for the network flow within the network device based on the ingress and egress interface identifications;

rendering, on the computer system display within the object representing the network device, a transmission path of the network flow within the network device from the ingress interface, the transmission path defined by the switching information identified by the network flow record.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein acquiring the network flow record and rendering the transmission path of the network flow occurs in real time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein rendering interface objects respectively corresponding to each internal interface of the network device includes rendering of an interface object corresponding to the ingress interface and rendering of an interface object corresponding to the egress interface, and wherein rendering of the transmission path of the network flow includes rendering of an arrow directly between the interface objects corresponding to the ingress and egress interfaces.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein rendering interface objects respectively corresponding to each internal interface of the network device includes rendering of an interface object corresponding to a local interface, and wherein rendering of the transmission path of the network flow includes rendering of an arrow terminating the transmission path at the interface object corresponding to the local interface.

5. The method of claim. 1, wherein rendering interface objects respectively corresponding to each internal interface of the network device includes rendering of an interface object corresponding to a null interface, and wherein rendering of the transmission path of the network flow includes rendering of an arrow terminating the transmission path at the interface object corresponding to the null interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein acquiring the network flow record for the network flow through the network device is performed by polling the network device for the network flow record.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring, using the computer, multiple network flow records for multiple network flows through the network device; and

simultaneously rendering, on the computer system display within the object representing the network device, multiple transmission paths of multiple network flows within the network device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

enabling selection of any one of the rendered multiple transmission paths; and

displaying, on the computer system display, information about a given one of the rendered multiple transmission paths upon selection of the given one of the rendered multiple transmission paths.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

rendering, on the computer system display, a tabular listing of data for the multiple network flow records.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the given one of the rendered multiple transmission paths includes one or more of a bit rate of a corresponding network flow, a total byte count of the corresponding network flow, a source address of the corresponding network flow, and a destination address of the corresponding network flow.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rendering, on the computer system display within the object representing the network device, an input bandwidth, an output bandwidth, and an identifier for each interface object.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the network flow is a layer 2 network flow.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the layer 2 network flow is transmitted through a VLAN.

14. A data storage device having program instructions stored thereon for visualization of internal network flow within a network device, comprising:

program instructions for rendering, on a computer system display, a graphical user interface including an object representing a network device;

program instructions for rendering, on the computer system display within the object representing the network device, interface objects respectively corresponding to each internal interface of the network device;

program instructions for acquiring a network flow record for a network flow through the network device, the network flow record identifying an ingress interface of the network device for the network flow and identifying an egress interface of the network device for the network flow;

program instructions for determining switching information for the network flow within the network device based on the ingress and egress interface identifications;

program instructions for rendering, on the computer system display within the object representing the network device, a transmission path of the network flow within the network device from the ingress interface, the transmission path defined by the switching information identified by the network flow record.

15. The data storage device of claim 14, wherein acquiring the network flow record and rendering the transmission path of the network flow occurs in real time.

16. The data storage device of claim 14, wherein program instructions for rendering interface objects respectively corresponding to each internal interface of the network device includes program instructions for rendering of an interface object corresponding to the ingress interface and program instructions for rendering of an interface object corresponding to the egress interface, and wherein program instructions for rendering of the transmission path of the network flow includes program instructions for rendering of an arrow directly between the interface objects corresponding to the ingress and egress interfaces.

17. The data storage device of claim 14, wherein program instructions for rendering interface objects respectively corresponding to each internal interface of the network device includes program instructions for rendering of an interface object corresponding to a local interface, and wherein program instructions for rendering of the transmission path of the network flow includes program instructions for rendering of an arrow terminating the transmission path at the interface object corresponding to the local interface.

18. The data storage device of claim 14, wherein program instructions for rendering interface objects respectively corresponding to each internal interface of the network device includes program instructions for rendering of an interface object corresponding to a null interface, and wherein program instructions for rendering of the transmission path of the network flow includes program instructions for rendering of an arrow terminating the transmission path at the interface object corresponding to the null interface.

19. The data storage device of claim 14, wherein program instructions for acquiring the network flow record for the network flow through the network device includes program instructions for polling the network device for the network flow record.

20. The data storage device of claim 14, further comprising:

program instructions for acquiring multiple network flow records for multiple network flows through the network device; and

program instructions for simultaneously rendering, on the computer system display within the object representing the network device, multiple transmission paths of multiple network flows within the network device.

21. The data storage device of claim 18, further comprising:

program instructions for enabling selection of any one of the rendered multiple transmission paths; and

program instructions for displaying, on the computer system display, information about a given one of the rendered multiple transmission paths upon selection of the given one of the rendered multiple transmission paths.

22. The data storage device of claim 18, further comprising:

program instructions for rendering, on the computer system display, a tabular listing of data for the multiple network flow records.