Method and apparatus for building network test packets

• US 5,822,520 A
• Filed: 12/26/1995
• Issued: 10/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Parker, Steven D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Treat, William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US08/578,831
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 395/183.01, 395/183.15, 395/200.06, 395/200.11, 395/200.01, 395/183.19, 395/183.14, 395/200.3, 395/200.47, 395/200.53, 395/200.6 , 395/285, 370/255
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/03 Protocol definition or specification protocol conformance testing H04L1/244
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided for generating test packets to be used in developing network protocol devices. According to the method of the invention, a first computer system is provided that includes a packet shell generation facility. The packet generation facility includes a generic command language interface mechanism and a packet management function generator. Using the packet shell generation facility test packets are generated for use in testing various aspects of network protocol devices.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable code devices embodied therein for generating test packets for simulating computer network communications, the computer program product comprising computer readable program code devices for providing a packet shell generation facility, including computer readable program code devices for providing a generic command language interface mechanism and a packet management function generator, the packet shell generation facility being network protocol independent.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, further including computer program code devices for transmitting test packets created using said packet shell generation facility over a computer network.

3. The computer program product of claim 2, further including computer readable program code devices for at least one library of protocol-specific commands.

4. The computer readable program product of claim 3, wherein said library further includes program code devices for linking said library dynamically to said packet management function generator.

5. A computer readable medium storing code devices executable for generating test packets for simulating computer network communications, the code devices including a packet shell generation facility that is operable with a plurality of network protocols, the packet shell generation facility comprising:

a generic command language interface mechanism that can interpret a plurality of different inputs, each of the plurality of different inputs being either generic to more than one network protocol or specific to one network protocol; and

a packet function generator that generates a test packet for a particular network protocol based on the inputs from the generic command language interpreter, wherein the packet function generator is operable to generate test packets for more than one network protocol.

6. A computer-implemented method for generating test packets for simulating computer network communications, the computer-implemented method comprising the steps of:

a) providing a packet shell generation facility that is protocol independent, the packet shell generation facility including a generic command language interface mechanism and a packet management function generator, and wherein the packet shell generation facility is operable with a plurality of network protocols;

b) providing at least one library of protocol-specific commands;

c) linking said packet management function generator to said library of protocol specific commands for at least one network protocol; and

d) generating a test packet using said packet shell generation facility by issuing commands to said generic command language interface to cause said packet management function generator to create packet data structures in accordance with said protocol specific commands located in said library.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said test packet is transmitted on a computer system upon which resides said packet shell generation facility.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said test packet is transmitted to a remote computer system that is coupled with a first computer system upon which resides the packet shell generation facility.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said test packet is transmitted to at least one network protocol device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said network protocol device is an actual device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said network protocol device is a virtual device.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein said library is linked dynamically to said packet management function generator.

13. The method of claim 6, including the step of modifying said test packet.

14. The method of claim 6, including the steps of creating a table in the test packet that references the data structures in the test packet and processing said data packet to update the status of said table.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said test packet is created by modification of a previously generated test packet.

16. A computer-implemented method for testing a protocol layer for coupling a first computer system to at least one remote computer system over a computer network, the computer-implemented method comprising the steps of:

a) providing a packet shell generation facility that is protocol independent the packet shell generation facility including a generic command language interface mechanism and a packet management function generator, said packet management function generator being operable with a plurality of network protocols;

b) providing a at least one library of protocol-specific commands;

c) linking said packet management function generator to said library of protocol specific commands for at least one network protocol; and

d) generating a test packet using said packet shell generation facility by issuing commands to said generic command language interface to cause said packet management function generator to create or modify packet data structures in accordance with said protocol specific commands located in said library; and

e) transmitting said test packet to said protocol device to be tested.

17. A computer system for creating test packets for use in testing network protocol devices, the computer system comprising:

a) a kernel portion;

b) a user portion;

c) a packet shell generation facility located in said user portion, said packet shell generator including a generic command language interface mechanism coupled with a packet management function generator, wherein the packet management function generator is protocol independent; and

d) at least one protocol device.

18. The computer system of claim 17, further comprising a computer network including at least one remote computer, and a network connection coupled with said computer system such that said computer system is capable of communicating with said remote computer.

19. The computer system of claim 17, wherein said packet management function generator is coupled with at least one library of protocol-specific commands.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein said library is linked dynamically to said packet function generator.

21. The computer system of claim 20, wherein said protocol device is located within said kernel and coupled therewith.

22. The computer system of claim 21, wherein said protocol device is a virtual device and is located in said user portion.

23. The computer system of claim 17, further including a test packet comprising at least one data segment representing a protocol device and a table including the identity and length of each data segment in said test packet.