System and method for monitoring a data packet

• US 7,796,535 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2006
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Holdings LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Liu, Chia J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh; Ayaz R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sloms; Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US11/515,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20080056153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity

Abstract

The embodiments described herein include a system and method for monitoring a packet adapted to traverse a network having a plurality of devices. The system and method enable an operator to efficiently determine the marking of a packet at each intermediate hop and the destination within a network by executing an algorithm through the use of an operating system.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

sending, by a computer, a first plurality of data packets into a network, each of the first plurality of sent data packets having a same indicated destination, a same first time-to-live (TTL) indication, and a different differentiated services code point (DSCP) marking;

sending, by the computer, a second plurality of data packets into the network, each of the second plurality of sent data packets having the same indicated destination, a same second TTL indication different from the first TTL indication, and a different DSCP marking;

for each of the first and second pluralities of sent data packets, the computer receiving a reply data packet that identifies the sent data packet, that identifies the computer as a destination of the reply data packet, and that further identifies a DSCP marking;

for each of the reply data packets, the computer determining the DSCP marking identified by the reply data packet; and

causing a display device to display, for each of the first and second TTL indications, an indication of the determined DSCP markings of the reply data packets that correspond to the sent data packets having that TTL indication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the reply data packets comprises an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the display device to display comprises displaying on the display device, for each of the first and second TTL indications, the indication of the determined DSCP markings of the reply data packets that correspond to the sent data packets having that TTL indication.

4. An apparatus, comprising:

a computer configured to;

send a first plurality of data packets into a network, each of the first plurality of sent data packets having a same indicated destination, a same first time-to-live (TTL) indication, and a different differentiated services code point (DSCP) marking;

send a second plurality of data packets into the network, each of the second plurality of sent data packets having the same indicated destination, a same second TTL indication different from the first TTL indication, and a different DSCP marking;

for each of a plurality of received reply data packets that each identifies one of the first or second pluralities of sent data packets, that each identifies the computer as a destination of the reply data packet, and that each identifies a DSCP marking, determine the DSCP marking identified by the reply data packet; and

cause a display device to display, for each of the first and second TTL indications, an indication of the determined DSCP markings of the reply data packets that correspond to the sent data packets having that TTL indication.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein each of the reply data packets comprises an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) message.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising the display device.

7. A method, comprising:

sending, by a computer, a first plurality of data packets into a network, each of the first plurality of sent data packets having a same indicated destination, a same first time-to-live (TTL) indication, and a different differentiated services code point (DSCP) marking;

sending, by the computer, a second plurality of data packets into the network, each of the second plurality of sent data packets having a same second TTL indication different from the first TTL indication, and a different differentiated services code point (DSCP) marking;

for each of the first and second pluralities of sent data packets, the computer receiving a reply message that identifies the sent data packet, that identifies the computer as a destination of the reply message, and that further identifies a differentiated services code point (DSCP) marking;

for each of the reply messages, the computer determining the differentiated services code point (DSCP) marking identified by the reply message; and

causing a display device to display, for each of the first and second TTL indications, an indication of the determined differentiated services code point (DSCP) markings of the reply messages that correspond to the sent data packets having that TTL indication.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the reply messages comprises an Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein at least some of the reply messages comprises an ICMP time-exceeded message.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein one of the reply messages corresponding to one of the data packets of the first plurality of data packets is an ICMP port unreachable message, and one of the reply messages corresponding to one of the data packets of the second plurality of data packets is also an ICMP port unreachable message.