Network monitoring method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A method of monitoring communication connections temporarily established over a network for passing protocol data units between at least several entities, each protocol data unit passed over the network being provided by a sending entity with associated connection information identifying the connection to which it relates, the method comprising the steps of monitoring the network to identify said protocol data units and the connection to which each such unit relates, and maintaining an active group of call records each representing a respective said connection considered to be currently active, said maintaining step comprising:
- adding a new call record to said active group each time one of said protocol data units is identified by the monitoring step as relating to a connection that is not represented in said active group;
updating an existing call record in said active group in response to any further of said protocol data units being identified by the monitoring step as relevant to the connection represented by said existing call record;
detecting that said connection has been completed, the detecting step being performed with regard to a continuing absence of further protocol data units relevant to said connection; and
removing several ones of said existing call records from said active group when said connection has been detected as being completed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A network monitoring method and apparatus (61) is disclosed for monitoring communication connections temporarily established over a network (60) between respective pairs of entities for passing protocol data units therebetween. The connections are, for example, conducted in accordance with the TCP/IP protocol suite. The method involves the steps of monitoring the network to identify the protocol data units and the connection to which each such unit relates, and maintaining an active group (67) of call records each representing a respective connection considered to be currently active. The active group (67) of call records is maintained by adding a new call record to the group each time a protocol data unit is identified as relating to a connection unrepresented in the active group (67); updating an existing call record in the group (67) in response to any further protocol data units being identified as relevant to the connection represented by that record; and removing an existing call record from the active group to a completed-call group (69) when the corresponding connection is judged completed having regard to a continuing absence of further protocol data units relevant to that connection.
152 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method of monitoring communication connections temporarily established over a network for passing protocol data units between at least several entities, each protocol data unit passed over the network being provided by a sending entity with associated connection information identifying the connection to which it relates, the method comprising the steps of monitoring the network to identify said protocol data units and the connection to which each such unit relates, and maintaining an active group of call records each representing a respective said connection considered to be currently active, said maintaining step comprising:
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adding a new call record to said active group each time one of said protocol data units is identified by the monitoring step as relating to a connection that is not represented in said active group; updating an existing call record in said active group in response to any further of said protocol data units being identified by the monitoring step as relevant to the connection represented by said existing call record; detecting that said connection has been completed, the detecting step being performed with regard to a continuing absence of further protocol data units relevant to said connection; and removing several ones of said existing call records from said active group when said connection has been detected as being completed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. Apparatus for monitoring communication connections temporarily established over a network for passing protocol data units between at least several entities, each protocol data unit passed over the network being provided by the sending entity with associated connection information identifying the connection to which it relates, said apparatus comprising monitoring means for monitoring the network to identify said protocol data units and the connection to which each such unit relates, and call-record means connected to said monitoring means and operative to maintain an active group of call records each representing a respective said connection considered to be currently active, said call-record means comprising:
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storage means for storing said active group of call records, record-creation means for determining whether the said connection to which each said protocol data unit relates, as identified by said monitoring means, is represented by a said call record in said active group, and where said connection is determined to be unrepresented by a said call record, adding a new call record to said active group; means for detecting when said connecting has been completed, the connection being detected as being completed with regard to a continuing absence of further protocol data units relevant to said connection, record-updating means for modifying said storage means so an existing call record in said active group is updated in response to any further said protocol data units being identified by said monitoring means as relevant to the connection represented by that record; and
record-removal means for modifying said storage means so an existing call record is removed from said active group when said means for detecting detects that the connection is completed.
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Specification