SYSTEM FOR MONITORING A VIDEO NETWORK AND METHODS FOR USE THEREWITH

• US 20150222939A1
• Filed: 03/30/2015
• Published: 08/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NetScout Systems Texas, LLC (NetScout Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Avvasi Inc (NetScout Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gallant, Michael, Archer, Michael, Goertz, Kevin, Joch, Anthony Peter, Kordasiewicz, Roman Czeslaw
• Application Number:
  US14/672,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20150222939A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

In accordance with one or more embodiments, monitoring system is presented that includes a monitoring device that extracts packet data of a data distribution network. A video network analyzer processes the packet data of the data distribution network to identify a media session that includes streaming video; analyzes the streaming video to identify an attribute associated with the streaming video; generates media session data that indicates the attribute in the streaming video; and generates policy and charging server interface data for controlling distribution of the streaming video, based on the media session data. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A monitoring system comprising:

a monitoring device that extracts packet data of a data distribution network;

a video network analyzer, coupled to the monitoring device, that;

processes the packet data of the data distribution network to identify a media session that includes streaming video;

analyzes the streaming video to identify an attribute associated with the streaming video;

generates media session data that indicates the attribute in the streaming video; and

generates policy and charging server interface data for controlling distribution of the streaming video, based on the media session data.

2. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the attribute is a session attribute and includes at least one of:

a media duration, network time application time, a quality metric, a start time, an end time, a time of day, a day of week, a source provider, a content data network provider, an edge server, an origin server, a streaming protocol, an application layer encryption status or a container format.

3. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the attribute is a subscriber attribute and includes at least one of a subscriber identifier, a subscriber data plan, a subscriber quota, a subscriber tier or a subscriber usage pattern.

4. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the attribute is a network attribute and includes at least one of:

a network status, a network load level, a congestion status, a location identifier, a download bitrate or an access type.

5. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the attribute is a video attribute and includes at least one of:

a video codec type, a video codec profile, a video width, a video height, a video resolution, a video stream encryption status, a video bit rate, a video operating point or a video frame rate.

6. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the attribute is a device attribute and includes at least one of:

a display size, a display resolution, a device identifier, a device operating system, a browser, a user agent, or a media player.

7. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein the attribute is a flow-based attribute and includes at least one of:

a virtual local area network identifier, an Internet protocol address, a protocol identifier, a port number, a virtual private network tunnel, a terms of service value, or a differentiated services code point value.

8. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein a network control point controls distribution of the streaming video via transcoding or adaptive streaming control, based on the policy and charging server interface data.

9. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein a network control point controls distribution of the streaming video based on a service level agreement.

10. The monitoring system of claim 1 wherein a network control point controls distribution of the streaming video to provide admission control, based on an indication of at least one of:

congestion or poor quality of experience.

11. A method comprising:

extracting packet data of a data distribution network via a monitoring device;

processing, via a processing device, the packet data of the data distribution network to identify a media session that includes streaming video;

analyzing, via the processing device, the streaming video to identify a session attribute associated with the streaming video;

generating, via the processing device, media session data that indicates the session attribute in the streaming video; and

generating, via the processing device, policy and charging server interface data for controlling distribution of the streaming video, based on the media session data.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the session attribute includes at least one of:

an Internet protocol data record (IPDR) creation time;

an IPDR sequence number, a subscriber identifier, a source address, a destination address, a media session start time, a media session end time, a media session identifier, a location identifier or a media site identifier.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the session attribute includes at least one of:

a streamed duration, a clip duration, a number of packets associated with the media session, a number of bytes, a media container indicator, a streaming protocol category, a streaming protocol identifier, or a transport protocol identifier.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the session attribute includes at least one of:

a termination reason, a number of retransmitted packets, a number of retransmitted bytes, a media session delay, a delivery quality of experience indicator, a presentation quality of experience indicator, an advertising probability, a congestion indicator, a network quality indicator.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the session attribute includes at least one of:

a video codec, a video codec profile, a video width, a video height, a video resolution, or a video frame rate.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the session attribute includes at least one of:

an audio codec, an audio codec profile, a number of audio channels, an audio sampling rate, an audio stream encryption status, a number of audio channels, an audio bit rate, an audio sampling rate, or an audio operating point.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein a network control point controls distribution of the streaming video via transcoding, based on the policy and charging server interface data.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein a network control point controls distribution of the streaming video, based on the policy and charging server interface data and further based on time of day.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein a network control point controls distribution of the streaming video based on a service level agreement.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein a network control point controls distribution of the streaming video to provide admission control, based on an indication of at least one of:

congestion or poor quality of experience.