System for requesting missing network accounting records if there is a break in sequence numbers while the records are transmitting from a source device

• US 6,625,657 B1
• Filed: 03/25/1999
• Issued: 09/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avaya Holdings Corporation (Avaya Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Bullard, William Carter Carroll
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le Hien
• Application Number:
  US09/276,423
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 709/216, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/237, 709/248, 709/224, 705/40, 705/35, 707/201, 379/130
• US Class Current: 709/237
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]

Abstract

A system for collecting and aggregating data from network entities for a data consuming application is described. The system includes a data collector layer to receive network flow information from the network entities and to produce records based on the information. The system also includes a flow aggregation layer fed from the data collection layer and coupled to a storage device. The flow aggregation layer receiving records produced by the data collector layer and aggregates received records. The system can also include an equipment interface layer coupled to the data collector layer and a distribution layer to obtain selected information stored in the storage device and to distribute the select information to a requesting, data consuming application.

Claims

1. A method for tracking network accounting records in a accounting process that collects and correlates information derived from network data comprises:

producing a network accounting record that has an identifier that uniquely identifies the record within the accounting process with the identifier including a sequence number that specifies a sequence number for network accounting records that originate from the source device;

determining when there is a break in the sequence numbers of network accounting records produced from the source device; and

requesting missing network accounting records when there is a break in the sequence.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein producing a network accounting record further comprises:

producing a network source identifier that identifies a source device that creates the network accounting record.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising determining the data collector that produced the missing network accounting records.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein determining the data collector comprises:

examining the network source identifier in a data flow.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the data flow is identified by aggregating received network accounting records and correlating the received records to identify a flow.

6. A system comprising:

a data collector collecting data from a network device, and producing network accounting records from the collected data; and

a flow aggregation process, that receives network accounting records, the network accounting records including data identifying the data collector and a sequence number, said flow aggregation process detects missing network accounting records by detecting at least one missing sequence number;

wherein upon detecting a missing sequence number, the flow aggregation process retrieves data identifying the data collector from received records that have been correlated to identify a flow associated with the missing records; and

sends a request to the identified data collector to retransmit the missing record corresponding to the missing sequence number.