Signature matching methods and apparatus for performing network diagnostics
First Claim
1. A method for identifying network conditions affecting a computer network, the network having a mechanism for sending packet bursts along a path in the network and receiving said packet bursts at an end of the path, the method comprising:
- providing a plurality of example signatures, each of the example signatures including information indicative of a specific network condition, and at least a part of one or more example signatures indicative of one or more of packet loss, packet ordering and packet timings, wherein each specific network condition causes a unique behavior directly indicative of data transmission performance in the computer network;
acquiring test data, which test data is based on actual propagation of test packets along the path;
creating a test signature from the test data, said test signature being an organized collection of information obtained from said test data, and at least a part of said test signature indicative of one or more of packet loss, packet ordering and packet timings, wherein the test signature comprises packet loss statistics for a plurality of positions within bursts of test packets of a first size;
comparing the test signature to the example signatures; and
,identifying at least one of the example signatures which matches the test signature according to a match criterion, thereby identifying at least one network condition affecting the computer network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for identifying problems in networks receives test data which may include statistical information regarding packet loss on a path. The system creates a signature from the test data and compares the signature to example signatures corresponding to various network conditions. The system identifies one or more of the example signatures which match the test signature. The system may comprise an expert system which applies rules to identify an example signature that the test signature best matches.
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Citations
68 Claims
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1. A method for identifying network conditions affecting a computer network, the network having a mechanism for sending packet bursts along a path in the network and receiving said packet bursts at an end of the path, the method comprising:
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providing a plurality of example signatures, each of the example signatures including information indicative of a specific network condition, and at least a part of one or more example signatures indicative of one or more of packet loss, packet ordering and packet timings, wherein each specific network condition causes a unique behavior directly indicative of data transmission performance in the computer network; acquiring test data, which test data is based on actual propagation of test packets along the path; creating a test signature from the test data, said test signature being an organized collection of information obtained from said test data, and at least a part of said test signature indicative of one or more of packet loss, packet ordering and packet timings, wherein the test signature comprises packet loss statistics for a plurality of positions within bursts of test packets of a first size; comparing the test signature to the example signatures; and
,identifying at least one of the example signatures which matches the test signature according to a match criterion, thereby identifying at least one network condition affecting the computer network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. Apparatus for identifying network conditions affecting a computer network, the network having a mechanism for sending packets in bursts along a path in the network and receiving the packet bursts at an end of the path, the apparatus comprising:
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a data store holding a plurality of example signatures, indicative of a plurality of specific network conditions, each of the example signatures including information indicative of a specific network condition, and at least a part of one or more example signatures indicative of one or more of packet loss, packet ordering and packet timings, wherein each specific network condition causes a unique behavior directly indicative of data transmission performance in the computer network; an input for receiving test data, which test data is based on actual propagation of test packets along the path; means for creating a test signature from the test data, said test signature being an organized collection of information obtained from said test data, and at least a part of said test signature indicative of one or more of packet loss, packet ordering and packet timings, wherein the test signature comprises packet loss statistics for a plurality of positions within bursts of test packets of a first size; means for comparing the test signature to the example signatures; and
,means for identifying at least one of the example signatures which matches the test signature, wherein said identifying determines at least one of said plurality of specific network conditions which is affecting the computer network. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. Apparatus for identifying network conditions affecting a computer network, the network having a mechanism for sending packets in bursts along a path in the network and receiving the packet bursts at an end of the path, the apparatus comprising:
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a data store holding a plurality of example signatures, indicative of a plurality of specific network conditions, each of the example signatures including information indicative of a specific and different network condition, and at least a part of one or more example signatures indicative of one or more of packet loss, packet ordering and packet timings, wherein each specific network condition causes a unique behavior directly indicative of data transmission performance in the computer network, wherein the example signatures comprise packet loss statistics for a plurality of positions within bursts of test packets of a first size; an input for receiving test data, which test data is based on actual propagation of test packets along the path; a test signature creation mechanism configured to create a test signature based upon the test data, said test signature being an organized collection of information obtained from said test data, and at least a part of said test signature indicative of one or more of packet loss, packet ordering and packet timings; a comparison system configured to derive a similarity measure between a the test signature and each of the plurality of example signatures; and
,a selection system configured to identify at least one of the example signatures which best matches the test signature, thereby identifying at least one network condition affecting the computer network. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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68. A program product comprising a computer readable medium carrying a set of computer-readable signals comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer processor, cause the data processor to execute a method for identifying network conditions affecting a computer network, the network having a mechanism for sending packet bursts along a path in the network and receiving said packet bursts at an end of the path, the method comprising:
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providing a plurality of example signatures indicative of a plurality of specific network conditions, each of the example signatures including information indicative of a specific and different network condition, and at least a part of one or more example signatures indicative of one or more of packet loss, packet ordering and packet timings, wherein each specific network condition causes a unique behavior directly indicative of data transmission performance in the computer network; acquiring test data, which test data is based on actual propagation of test packets along the path; creating a test signature from the test data, said test signature being an organized collection of information obtained from said test data, and at least a part of said test signature indicative of one or more of packet loss, packet ordering and packet timings, wherein the test signature comprises packet loss statistics for a plurality of positions within bursts of test packets of a first size; comparing the test signature to the example signatures; and
,identifying at least one of the example signatures which matches the test signature according to a match criterion, thereby identifying at least one network condition affecting the computer network.
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Specification