REAL-TIME HIGHLY ACCURATE NETWORK LATENCY MEASUREMENT WITH LOW GENERATED TRAFFIC OR DATA REQUIREMENTS

• US 20140006610A1
• Filed: 07/02/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keysight Technologies Singapore Sales Pte Ltd (Keysight Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Datacom Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Formby, Kevin, Kaufman, Gil
• Granted Patent: US 9,686,169 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0858 One way delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes

Abstract

Systems and methods for accurately calculating the latency of a data-network, by providing an electronic device that receives data packets moving across a network data point and compares their time of arrival with a timestamp stored within a data packet. The electronic device may calculate the average latency by comparing N number of data packets. Further systems and methods for comparing the latencies at N number of electronic devices placed at unique network data points and calculating latencies between each device.

Claims

1. A system for measuring network latency, comprising:

an electronic device synced to a time source and configured to receive a plurality of data packets from a network data point, wherein each of said data packets contains data representing a predetermined time,

wherein said electronic device is further configured to ascertain, according to said time source, a time when a first data packet from said plurality of data packets arrived at said electronic device and to calculate a first difference between said first data packet'"'"'s arrival time with said first data packet'"'"'s predetermined time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, said time source is an atomic clock.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said time source is a GPS timing signal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said time source is the same as the time source used to determine said predetermined time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said electronic device is based on a field programmable gate array

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

A network tap programmed to monitor said network data point and to send said plurality of data packets from said network data point to said electronic device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said device is further configured to ascertain, according to said time source, a time when a second data packet from said plurality of data packets arrived at said electronic device and to calculate a second difference between said second data packet'"'"'s arrival time to said second data packet'"'"'s predetermined time and to average said first difference and said second difference, resulting in a first average latency.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said device is further configured to calculate a standard deviation of said first difference and said second difference.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

A remote management system capable of querying said device and receiving from said device said first average latency or said standard deviation.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

A second electronic device synced to said time source and configured to receive said plurality of data packets from a second network data point,

wherein said electronic device is further configured to ascertain, according to said time source, a time when said first data packet from said plurality of data packets arrived at said second electronic device and to calculate a third difference between said first data packet'"'"'s arrival time at said second electronic device with said first data packet'"'"'s predetermined time, to ascertain, according to said time source, a time when said second data packet from said plurality of data packets arrived at said second electronic device, to calculate a fourth difference between said second data packet'"'"'s arrival time at said second electronic device to said second data packet'"'"'s predetermined time, and to average said third difference with said fourth difference resulting in a second average latency,

wherein said remote management system is further capable of querying said second electronic device and receiving said average latency from said second device, and to calculate the difference between said first average latency and said second average latency.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein, said time source is an atomic clock.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said time source is a GPS timing signal.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said time source is the same as the time source used to determine said predetermined time.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic device is based on a field programmable gate array.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before the step of receiving, the steps of:

Sending, from a network tap programmed to monitor said network data point, a plurality of data packets from said network data point to said electronic device.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of calculating a standard deviation of said first difference and said second difference.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

receiving said plurality of data packets from a second network data point at a second electronic device,

ascertaining with said second electronic device and according to said time source, a time when said first data packet from said plurality of data packets arrived at said second electronic device and

calculating with said second electronic device, a third difference between said first data packet'"'"'s arrival time at said second electronic device with said first data packet'"'"'s predetermined time,

ascertaining with said second electronic device, according to said time source, a time when said second data packet from said plurality of data packets arrived at said second electronic device,

calculating a fourth difference between said second data packet'"'"'s arrival time at said second electronic device to said second data packet'"'"'s predetermined time, and to average said third difference with said fourth difference resulting in a second average latency

wherein said remote management system is further capable of querying said second electronic device and receiving said average latency from said second device.

11. A method for measuring network latency, comprising:

receiving a plurality of data packets from a network data point at an electronic device,

wherein each of said data packets contains data representing a predetermined time;

ascertaining with said electronic device and according to a time source, a time when a first data packet from said plurality of data packets arrived at said electronic device;

calculating with said electronic device, a first difference between said first data packet'"'"'s arrival time with said first data packet'"'"'s predetermined time.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

ascertaining with said electronic device and according to said time source, a time when a second data packet from said plurality of data packets arrived at said electronic device;

calculating with said electronic device a second difference between said second data packet'"'"'s arrival time to said second data packet'"'"'s predetermined time;

averaging with said electronic device said first difference and said second difference, resulting in a first average latency.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

querying from said electronic device, by a remote management system, said first average latency or said standard deviation;

receiving, from said electronic device, said first average latency or said standard deviation at a remote management device.