NETWORK LINK PERFORMANCE

• US 20180219760A1
• Filed: 01/27/2017
• Published: 08/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SolarWinds Worldwide LLC (SolarWinds Corp.)
• Original Assignee: SolarWinds Worldwide LLC (SolarWinds Corp.)
• Inventors: LI, Na, LI, Lan
• Granted Patent: US 10,979,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route

Abstract

An apparatus and method for the monitoring of performance metrics at links located within the communication network. A method may include discovering multiple paths across a plurality of nodes in a network between a user equipment and an endpoint. The method may also include deriving at the user equipment performance metrics of an edge located between two of the plurality of nodes. The performance metrics is derived based on performance of the two nodes bordering the edge. The two nodes are located within one of the multiple paths.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

discovering multiple paths across a plurality of nodes in a network between a user equipment and an endpoint; and

deriving at the user equipment performance metrics of an edge located between two of the plurality of nodes, wherein the performance metrics is derived based on performance of the two nodes bordering the edge, wherein the two nodes are located within one of the multiple paths.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the performance metrics comprise at least one of a packet loss or a latency at the two nodes.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

calculating the performance metrics based on a first performance metric and a second performance metric of the edge, wherein the first performance metrics and the second performance metric are aggregated.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first performance metric and the second performance metric are calculated on a same edge of two different paths or the one path of the multiple discovered paths.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first performance metrics and the second performance metrics are calculated using a different number of sent probe packets.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

smoothing of the performance metrics to account for packet losses and latency associated with a probing packet.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the two nodes are consecutive hops on a path.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a location of the edge where the performance metrics indicates a problem with the edge.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

sending an indication to a network provider with the location of the edge, wherein the location is used to signal a problem with one of the two nodes bordering the edge.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

calculating an edge packet loss based on the packet loss at each of the two nodes.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

measuring an estimation error at each of the two nodes; and

using the estimation error to calculate the performance metrics.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein a traceroute probe is used to determine the first path and the second path.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multiple paths are discovered via tracerouting.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user equipment does not have administrative access to the network.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one memory comprising computer program code;

at least one processor;

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to;

discover multiple paths across a plurality of nodes in a network between a user equipment and an endpoint; and

derive at the user equipment performance metrics of an edge located between two of the plurality of nodes, wherein the performance metrics is derived based on performance of the two nodes bordering the edge, wherein the two nodes are located within one of the multiple paths.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

determine a location of the edge where the performance metrics indicates a problem with the edge between the two nodes.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

send an indication to a network provider with the location of the edge, wherein the location is used to signal a problem with one of the two nodes bordering the edge.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the performance metrics comprise at least one of a packet loss or a latency at the two nodes.

19. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

calculate the performance metrics based on a first performance metric and a second performance metric of the edge, wherein the first performance metrics and the second performance metric are aggregated.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the first performance metric and the second performance metric are calculated on a same edge of two different paths or the one path of the multiple discovered paths.

21. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the first performance metrics and the second performance metrics are calculated using a different number of sent probe packets.

22. The method according to claim 15, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:

smooth of the performance metrics to account for packet losses and latency associated with a probing packet.

23. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein when the estimated value of the first path and the estimated value of the second path match values of a device or operating systems in a predetermined list, the second network entity is the proxy server.

24. The method according to claim 15, wherein the user equipment does not have administrative access to the network.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoding instructions that, when executed in hardware, perform a process, wherein the process comprises at least one of:

discovering multiple paths across a plurality of nodes in a network between a user equipment and an endpoint; and

deriving at the user equipment performance metrics of an edge located between two of the plurality of nodes, wherein the performance metrics is derived based on performance of the two nodes bordering the edge, wherein the two nodes are located within one of the multiple paths.