System and Method For Monitoring Network Link Quality

• US 20140029462A1
• Filed: 08/15/2013
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metaswitch Networks Limited (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Metaswitch Networks Limited (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: STEWART, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,160,636 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2236 Quality of speech transmission monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

Monitoring network link quality in a telecommunications network which includes a plurality of intermediate network elements connected to network links via which communications sessions are conducted between respective terminating devices. A communications session comprises signaling procedures relating to the control of the session and media transfer procedures for transmitting media content via a media path established using at least part of the procedures. The established media path includes media path legs which are each established between respective media path leg endpoints connected via a network link. One or more endpoints of a media path leg is determined from at least part of the procedures. The determined one or more endpoints includes a media path leg endpoint at an intermediate network element. Reporting data is generated that comprises data identifying the determined one or more endpoints. The reporting data is transmitted to an analysis system for network link quality analysis.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring network link quality in a telecommunications network which includes a plurality of intermediate network elements connected to network links via which communications sessions are conducted between respective terminating devices, a said communications session comprising signaling procedures relating to the control of the communications session and media transfer procedures for transmitting media content via a media path established using at least part of said signaling procedures, the established media path including media path legs which are each established between respective media path leg endpoints connected via a said network link, the method comprising:

determining one or more endpoints of a said media path leg from at least part of said signaling procedures, said determined one or more endpoints including a media path leg endpoint at a said intermediate network element;

generating reporting data comprising data identifying said determined one or more endpoints; and

transmitting said reporting data to an analysis system for network link quality analysis.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said communications sessions comprise voice calls.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said determined one or more endpoints are determined from signaling procedures relating to the setup of a voice call.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said determining is conducted by a network element responsible for conducting signaling procedures for said communications session.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said network element is a said intermediate network element which includes a media path leg endpoint for the communications session.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein said network element is a switching network element responsible for conducting signaling procedures for said communications session, said switching network element not including a media path leg endpoint for the communications session.

7. A method according to claim 4, comprising, at a further network element:

determining one or more endpoints of a said media path leg from at least part of said signaling procedures, said determined one or more further endpoints including a media path leg endpoint at a further said intermediate network element;

generating further reporting data comprising data identifying said determined one or more further endpoints; and

transmitting said further reporting data to said analysis system for network link quality analysis.

8. A method according to claim 1, comprising:

receiving quality of service data relating to said communications session at an intermediate network element which includes a media path leg endpoint for the communications session; and

transmitting said received quality of service data to said analysis system for network link quality analysis.

9. A method according to claim 1, comprising:

measuring a quality of service characteristic relating to said communications session at an intermediate network element which includes a media path leg endpoint for the communications session;

generating quality of service data on the basis of said measured quality of service characteristic; and

transmitting said quality of service data to said analysis system for network link quality analysis.

10. A method according to claim 1, comprising:

receiving said reporting data;

processing said reporting data to determine at least part of the media path established for the communications session; and

assessing network link quality for at least one network link in the data communications network on the basis of said media path determination and quality of service data relating to said communications session.

11. A method according to claim 10, comprising receiving at least part of said quality of service data from a terminating device for the communications session.

12. A method according to claim 10, comprising receiving at least part of said quality of service data from an intermediate network element which includes a media path leg endpoint for the communications session.

13. A method according to claim 10, comprising:

receiving reporting data relating to a plurality of different communications sessions;

processing said reporting data to determine at least part of the media paths established for each of the plurality of different communications sessions; and

assessing network link quality for at least one network link in the data communications network on the basis of said media path determinations and quality of service data relating to said different communications sessions.

14. A method according to claim 10, comprising:

receiving reporting data from a plurality of different sources of said reporting data, different elements of said reporting data received from said different sources relating to different media path legs;

correlating said reporting data received from said different sources;

processing said correlated reporting data to determine at least a plurality of media path legs of the media path established for the communications session; and

assessing network link quality for a plurality of network links in the data communications network on the basis of said media path determination and quality of service data relating to said communications session.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein said correlating is performed on the basis of data identifying one or more characteristics of the communications session, said session identifying data being received in said reporting data in addition to said data identifying said determined one or more endpoints.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said session identifying data comprises one or more indications of time relating to when a communications session occurred.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein said session identifying data comprises a unique identifier of a signaling procedure relating to the communications session.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein said session identifying data comprises a unique identifier of the communications session occurring between the terminating devices.

19. A method according to claim 15, wherein said session identifying data comprises a unique identifier of a media flow established as part of said communications session, said media flow occurring only in a part of said media path.

20. A method according to claim 1, comprising:

determining one or more additional endpoints of a said media path leg from information received in the media path by an intermediate network element which includes a media path leg endpoint for the communications session;

generating additional reporting data comprising data identifying said determined one or more additional endpoints; and

transmitting said additional reporting data to said analysis system for network link quality analysis.

21. A method according to claim 1, wherein the media path for a communications session includes an intermediate network element conducting network address translation, the method comprising:

determining a media path leg endpoint of said network element conducting network address translation;

generating network address translation reporting data comprising data identifying said media path leg endpoint of said network element conducting network address translation; and

transmitting said network address translation reporting data to said analysis system for network link quality analysis.

22. A method according to claim 21, comprising determining said media path leg endpoint of said network element conducting network address translation from information received by an intermediate network element from said network element conducting network address translation.

23. A method according to claim 21, comprising determining said media path leg endpoint of said network element conducting network address translation from at least part of said signaling procedures.

24. A method according to claim 21, comprising determining said media path leg endpoint of said network element conducting network address translation from media data received in the media path from the said network element conducting network address translation.

25. A method according to claim 1, wherein said signaling procedures include a network link resource reservation procedure, and wherein said method comprises determining one or more endpoints of a said media path leg from said network link resource reservation procedure.

26. A method according to claim 1, wherein said one or more endpoints of a said media path leg include an identifier of a receiving network element in the media path to which media data is transmitted in the media path leg.

27. A method according to claim 1, wherein the data identifying one or more endpoints comprises one or more IP addresses for said one or more endpoints.

28. A network element for use in monitoring network link quality in a telecommunications network, the telecommunications network including a plurality of intermediate network elements connected to network links via which communications sessions are conducted between respective terminating devices, a said communications session comprising signaling procedures relating to the control of the communications session and media transfer procedures for transmitting media content via a media path established using at least part of said signaling procedures, the established media path including media path legs which are each established between respective media path leg endpoints connected via a said network link, the network element being configured to:

determine one or more endpoints of a said media path leg from at least part of said signaling procedures, said determined one or more endpoints including a media path leg endpoint at a said intermediate network element;

generate reporting data comprising data identifying said determined one or more endpoints; and

transmit said reporting data to an analysis system for network link quality analysis.

29. A network element according to claim 28, the network element being configured to:

measure a quality of service characteristic relating to said communications session at the said network element which includes a media path leg endpoint for the communications session;

generate quality of service data on the basis of said measured quality of service characteristic; and

transmit said quality of service data to said analysis system for network link quality analysis.

30. A network element according to claim 28, the network element being configured to:

receive quality of service data relating to said communications session at the said network element which includes a media path leg endpoint for the communications session; and

transmit said received quality of service data to said analysis system for network link quality analysis.

31. An analysis system for monitoring network link quality in a telecommunications network, the telecommunications network including a plurality of intermediate network elements connected to network links via which communications sessions are conducted between respective terminating devices, a said communications session comprising signaling procedures relating to the control of the communications session and media transfer procedures for transmitting media content via a media path established using at least part of said signaling procedures, the established media path including media path legs which are each established between respective media path leg endpoints connected via a said network link, the analysis system being configured to:

receive reporting data comprising data identifying determined one or more endpoints of a said media path leg, said determined one or more endpoints including a media path leg endpoint at a said intermediate network element;

process said reporting data to determine at least part of the media path established for the communications session; and

assess network link quality for at least one network link in the data communications network on the basis of said media path determination and quality of service data relating to said communications session.