Rate-controlled transmission of traffic flow information
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:
- receiving packets from a network;
associating the packets with a packet flow based on data within the packets;
aggregating first traffic flow statistics for the packet flow by generating and storing the first traffic flow statistics in a first data structure;
outputting the first traffic flow statistics stored in the first data structure to a packet flow collector for analysis of the network;
while outputting the first traffic flow statistics;
(i) receiving additional packets from the network;
(ii) associating the additional packets with the same packet flow based on data within the additional packets;
(iii) aggregating second traffic flow statistics for the packet flow based on the additional packets by generating and storing the second traffic flow statistics in a second data suture over an allotted amount of time; and
(iv) controlling a rate of output of the first traffic flow statistics from the first data structure based on the allotted amount of time for the aggregation of the second traffic flow statistics in a second data structure such that the first traffic flow statistics are output substantially over a full amount of the time allotted for aggregation of the second traffic flow statistics in the second data structure.
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Abstract
Network analysis techniques are described for generating and outputting traffic flow packets which include traffic flow information indicative of network traffic flows. More specifically, the traffic flow packets may be generated and output in a rate-controlled fashion, which can avoid data loss of traffic flow information in the traffic flow packets. For example, rate-controlled transmission can be extremely useful in ensuring that transmitted traffic flow packets will be received by a packet flow collector without overloading input buffers of the packet flow collector.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving packets from a network; associating the packets with a packet flow based on data within the packets; aggregating first traffic flow statistics for the packet flow by generating and storing the first traffic flow statistics in a first data structure; outputting the first traffic flow statistics stored in the first data structure to a packet flow collector for analysis of the network; while outputting the first traffic flow statistics; (i) receiving additional packets from the network; (ii) associating the additional packets with the same packet flow based on data within the additional packets; (iii) aggregating second traffic flow statistics for the packet flow based on the additional packets by generating and storing the second traffic flow statistics in a second data suture over an allotted amount of time; and (iv) controlling a rate of output of the first traffic flow statistics from the first data structure based on the allotted amount of time for the aggregation of the second traffic flow statistics in a second data structure such that the first traffic flow statistics are output substantially over a full amount of the time allotted for aggregation of the second traffic flow statistics in the second data structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An apparatus comprising:
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a network interface to receive first packets from a network; and a traffic flow module to generate traffic flow statistics based on the first packets, generate second packets that include the traffic flow statistics, and output the second packets including the traffic flow statistics in rate-controlled manner to a packet flow collector for analysis of the networks, wherein the traffic flow module includes a first data structure and a second data structure to aggregate the traffic flow statistics, and wherein a rate of output of a first subset of second packets associated with traffic flow statistics in the first data structure is controlled based on an amount of time allotted for aggregation of traffic flow statistics in the second data structure and a number of packets in the first subset of second packets. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus comprising:
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a network interface to receive first packets from a network; a traffic flow module to generate traffic flow statistics associated with the first packets received form the network; a first data structure to accumulate the traffic flow statistics corresponding to a first set of the first packets; a second data structure to accumulate the traffic flow statistics corresponding to a second set of the first packets; and a controller to generate and output second packets based on the accumulated traffic flow statistics in the first and second data structures, wherein the controller causes output of a first set of second packets corresponding to statistics in the first data structure during a period of time when the traffic flow statistics is accumulated in the second data structure, and wherein the controller controls a rate of output of the first set of second packets associated with traffic flow statistics in the first data structure based on an amount of time allotted for accumulation of traffic flow statistics in the second data structure. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A method comprising:
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receiving first packets from a network; generating traffic flow statistics for the first packets, wherein the traffic flow statistics are stored in a first data structure and a second data structure; generating second packets including the traffic flow statistics; outputting the second packets including the traffic flow statistics in a rate-controlled manner to a packet flow collector for analysis of the network; and controlling a rate of output of a first subset of second packets associated with traffic flow statistics in the first data structure based on an amount of time allotted for aggregation of traffic flow statistics in the second data structure. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A method comprising:
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receiving first packets from a network; generating traffic flow statistics for the first packets received from the network; defining a first data structure as an aggregation data structure and a second data structure as an export data structure; aggregating the traffic flow statistics for a first set of the first packets in the first data structure; redefining the first data structure as the export data structure and the second data structure as the aggregation data structure; aggregating the traffic flow statistics for a second set of the first packets in the second data structure; and outputting a first set of second packets in a rate-controlled manner, the first set of second packets including the traffic flow statistics in the first data structure, wherein outputting the first set of second packets in a rate-controlled manner includes; identifying a number of the second packets in the first set; identifying a period of time to be used to output of the first set of second packets based on an amount of time allotted for aggregation of traffic flow statistics in the second data structure; and outputting subsets of the number of second packets in the first set during intervals of the period of time. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A traffic flow service card capable of removable insertion into a network device comprising:
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an interface for insertion within a slot of the network device; and a traffic flow module coupled to the interface to generate traffic flow statistics based on first packets received by the network device, generate second packets to include the traffic flow statistics, and output the second packets including the traffic flow statistics in a rate-controlled manner, wherein the traffic flow module includes a first data structure and a second data structure to aggregate the traffic flow statistics, and wherein the traffic flow module controls a rate of output of a first subset of second packets associated with traffic flow statistics in the first data structure based on an amount of time allotted for aggregation of traffic flow statistics in the second data structure.
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27. A computer readable medium comprising instructions that upon execution in a network analyzer cause the network analyzer to:
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generate traffic flow statistics for first packets received from a network; store the traffic flow statistics in a first data structure and a second data structure; generate second packets to include the traffic flow statistics; output second packets including the traffic flow statistics in a rate-controlled manner for transmission over the network to a packet flow collector for analysis of the network; and control a rate of output of a first subset of second packets associated with traffic flow statistics in the first data structure based on an amount of time allotted for aggregation of traffic flow statistics in the second data structure. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. A computer readable medium comprising instructions that upon execution in a network analyzer cause the network analyzer to:
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define a first data structure as an aggregation data structure and a second data structure as an export data structure; aggregate in the first data structure traffic flow statistics for a first set of first packets received from a network; redefine the first data structure as the export data structure and the second data structure as the aggregation data structure; aggregate traffic flow statistics for a second set of the first packets in the second data structure; generate second packet including the traffic flow statistics; output a first set of second packets, the first set of second packet including the traffic flow statistics in the first data structure; and control a rate of output of a first set of second packets associated with traffic flow statistics in the first data structure based on an amount of time allotted for aggregation of traffic flow statistics in the second data structure. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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34. A method comprising:
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receiving first packets from a network; generating traffic flow statistics for the first packets; storing the traffic flow statistics for the first packets in a first data structure; generating second packets to include the traffic flow statistics in the first data structure; defining an export rate for the second packets including the traffic flow statistics based on an amount of time allotted for subsequent accumulation of traffic flow statistics in a second data structure and a number of second packets associated with the traffic flow statistics in the first data structure to be output; and outputting the second packets according to the export rate. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. An apparatus comprising:
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a network interface to receive first packets from a network; and a traffic flow module to generate traffic flow statistics for the first packets, store the traffic flow statistics for the first packets in a first data structure, generate second packets to include the traffic flow statistics in the first data structure, define an export rate for the second packets including the traffic flow statistics based on an amount of time allotted for subsequent accumulation of traffic flow statistics in a second data structure and a number of second packets associated with the traffic flow statistics in the first data structure to be output, and output the second packets according to the export rate. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
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42. A computer readable storage medium comprising:
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a first data structure storing traffic flow statistics accumulated during a first time interval and exported during a second time interval; a second data structure storing traffic flow statistics accumulated during the second time interval; and instructions to cause a processor to control the second interval of time for export of the traffic flow statistics from the first data structure based on an amount of time allotted for accumulation of traffic flow statistics in the second data structure. - View Dependent Claims (43)
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Specification