Probe for measuring quality-of-service parameters in a telecommunication network

• US 7,583,604 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2004
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Couturier, Alban
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOM, SHICK C
• Application Number:
  US10/762,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20050022180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,048 Days
• Field of Search: 370/253, 370/250, 370/241.1, 455/405
• US Class Current: 370/241.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/024 by adaptive sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/026 using flow identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes

Abstract

A measuring probe, able to access data flows composed of packets transmitted along a path formed by a plurality of equipment in a telecommunication network, having a measurement module to perform measurements in accordance with the configuration data, a determination module for determining that one or more transmitted packets form a signaling message, and a signaling module to determine configuration data from the signaling message.

Claims

1. A measuring probe, comprising:

means for accessing data flows composed of packets, transmitted along a path formed by a multiplicity of equipment in a telecommunication network;

measurement means for performing measurements, in accordance with configuration data;

determination means for determining that one or more packets transmitted along the said path form a signaling message; and

signaling means for determining said configuration data from said signaling message

wherein said measurement means are operable to transmit measurement reports, containing said measurements, to a measuring device determined by an identifier contained in said configuration data; and

said measurements are transmitted to said measuring device by means of a proxy, the measurement reports transmitted to said proxy containing said identifier.

2. The measuring probe in accordance with claim 1, wherein said measurements are relative to said data flow.

3. The measuring probe in accordance with claim 1, wherein said determination means are operable to read a specific label, contained in said received message, and determine whether the said received message is a signaling message from this specific label.

4. The measuring probe in accordance with claim 1, wherein said configuration base contains a set of records, each record corresponding to a measurement task and each record comprising:

a filter which determines the packets on which the measurements must be performed; and

parameters relating to the method of measurement.

5. The measuring probe in accordance with claim 4, in which said parameters are chosen from the group of factors comprising:

the time during which the measurements must be performed;

sampling data

a hashing function;

a parameter triggering a time-stamping of the packets to be measured;

a parameter triggering an identification of the packets to be measured, by means of a hashing function;

a parameter triggering a counting of the packets to be measured;

a method for transmitting the measurements to the measuring device (M).

6. The measuring probe in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transmissions with the measuring device are made secure.

7. The measuring probe in accordance with claim 6, wherein means for making the transmissions with the measuring device secure are transmitted by a signaling message.

8. The measuring probe in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

means for deciding whether said signaling means creates a new measurement task, in accordance with a sensitivity indicator associated with said measuring probe.

9. The measuring probe in accordance with claim 8, wherein said means for deciding also decides as a function of a priority contained in the said received message.

10. A router comprising the measuring probe in accordance with claim 1.

11. The telecommunication network comprising measuring probes in accordance with claim 1.

12. The telecommunication network in accordance with claim 11, further comprising measuring devices.

13. A method for taking measurements of data flows composed of packets, transmitted along a path formed by a multiplicity of equipment in a telecommunication network, the method comprising:

performing measurements, in accordance with configuration data;

determining that one or more packets transmitted along the said path form a signaling message;

determining said configuration data from said signaling message;

transmitting measurement reports, containing said measurements, to a measuring device determined by an identifier contained in said configuration data; and

transmitting said measurements to said measuring device by means of a proxy, the measurement reports transmitted to said proxy containing said identifier.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said measurements are relative to said data flow.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said determining comprises reading a specific label, contained in said received message, and determining whether said received message is a signaling message from this specific label.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said configuration base contains a set of records, each record corresponding to a measurement task and each record comprising:

a filter which determines the packets on which the measurements must be performed; and

parameters relating to the method of measurement.

17. The method of claim 16, in which said parameters are chosen from the group of factors comprising:

the time during which the measurements must be performed;

sampling data

a hashing function;

a parameter triggering a time-stamping of the packets to be measured;

a parameter triggering an identification of the packets to be measured, by means of a hashing function;

a parameter triggering a counting of the packets to be measured;

a method for transmitting the measurements to the measuring device (M).

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the transmissions with the measuring device are made secure.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein means for making the transmissions with the measuring device secure are transmitted by a signaling message.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

deciding whether a new measurement task is created, in accordance with a sensitivity indicator associated with said measuring probe.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said deciding is decided as a function of a priority contained in said received message.

22. A router comprising a measuring probe implementing the method of claim 13.

23. A measuring probe, comprising:

means for accessing data flows composed of packets, transmitted along a path formed by a multiplicity of equipment in a telecommunication network, said data flows passing through said measuring probe;

measurement means for performing measurements, in accordance with configuration data;

determination means for determining that one or more packets transmitted along the said path form a signaling message; and

signaling means for determining said configuration data from said signaling message;

wherein said determining comprises reading a specific label, contained in said one or more packets, and determining whether said one or more packets are a signaling message from this specific label.

24. The measuring probe of claim 23, wherein said signaling message triggers an establishment of a new measurement task.

25. The measuring probe of claim 23, wherein said signaling message triggers a modification of a measurement task.

26. The measuring probe of claim 23, wherein said signaling message triggers a deletion of a measurement task.

27. The measuring probe of claim 23, wherein said signaling message comprises two or more packets.