Fault tolerance for network accounting architecture
First Claim
1. A method of transmitting accounting records in an accounting system that produces information pertaining to network traffic flow comprising:
- collecting data from a network device by a data collector associated with the network device and producing accounting records from the data;
transmitting the accounting records to first and second flow aggregation processes, with transmitting further comprising for each flow aggregation process;
storing in the data collector the accounting records;
transmitting the accounting records to the flow aggregation process; and
awaiting an acknowledgment signal from the flow aggregation process that the flow aggregation process received the accounting records before discarding the accounting records sent to the flow aggregation process.
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Accused Products
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.
161 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of transmitting accounting records in an accounting system that produces information pertaining to network traffic flow comprising:
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collecting data from a network device by a data collector associated with the network device and producing accounting records from the data;
transmitting the accounting records to first and second flow aggregation processes, with transmitting further comprising for each flow aggregation process;
storing in the data collector the accounting records;
transmitting the accounting records to the flow aggregation process; and
awaiting an acknowledgment signal from the flow aggregation process that the flow aggregation process received the accounting records before discarding the accounting records sent to the flow aggregation process. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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2. A system, including an accounting module, comprising:
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a plurality of data collectors disposed in a network, and which collect data pertaining to operation of the network from network devices;
a first flow aggregation process, connected to the plurality of data collectors, wherein the data collectors send the collected data to the first flow aggregation process; and
wherein the data collectors dispose of the collected data only after receiving an acknowledgment that the data has been received with the first flow aggregation process processing the data to generate aggregated records; and
a second flow aggregation process, connected to the data collectors, wherein the data collectors send the collected data to the second flow aggregation process, and dispose of the collected data only after receiving an acknowledgment that the data has been received, with the second flow aggregation process processes the data to generate aggregated records. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for transmitting accounting records in an accounting system comprising instructions to cause a computer to:
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collect data associated with a network device and produce accounting records from the data;
transmit the accounting records to first and second flow aggregation processes to produce aggregate reports of the accounting records;
store the accounting records in a local storage; and
await an acknowledgment signal from the first flow aggregation process that the flow aggregation process received the accounting records before discarding the accounting records sent to the first flow aggregation process; and
determine an error relating to the first flow aggregation process to cause the aggregate reports from the second flow aggregation process to be sent to the accounting module in place of the aggregate reports from the first flow aggregation process. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification