Node emulator
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of emulating network traffic through a node having connections to a server and a client, comprising:
- (a) generating foreground traffic through the node from the server to the client, wherein the foreground traffic comprises foreground data packets;
(b) simulating background traffic internally at the node, the simulated background traffic contending with the foreground traffic at the node;
(c) determining, at the node, an effect of the simulated background traffic on the foreground traffic received at the node, wherein the determining comprises simulating a queue based on at least the simulated background traffic and the foreground traffic received at the node, wherein the determining further comprises;
computing a rate of growth of the simulated queue based on at least the simulated background traffic and an output link capacity associated with the node; and
calculating a length of the simulated queue based on at least the computed rate of growth and lengths of the foreground data packets; and
(d) making a forwarding decision at the node with respect to the foreground traffic based on the calculated length of the simulated queue, wherein the forwarding decision comprises one of;
(i) forwarding at least one of the foreground data packets through the node via an egress media interface to the connection to the client;
or discarding at least one of the foreground data packets.
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Accused Products
Abstract
System, methods and apparatii are provided for emulating the performance effect on network traffic flow traversing a node in a communications network. According to one illustrative embodiment, a method of emulating the performance effect on network traffic through a node is provided that includes generating foreground traffic through the node; simulating background traffic at the node; determining an effect of the background traffic on the foreground traffic; and making a forwarding decision with respect to the foreground traffic based on the effect.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of emulating network traffic through a node having connections to a server and a client, comprising:
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(a) generating foreground traffic through the node from the server to the client, wherein the foreground traffic comprises foreground data packets; (b) simulating background traffic internally at the node, the simulated background traffic contending with the foreground traffic at the node; (c) determining, at the node, an effect of the simulated background traffic on the foreground traffic received at the node, wherein the determining comprises simulating a queue based on at least the simulated background traffic and the foreground traffic received at the node, wherein the determining further comprises; computing a rate of growth of the simulated queue based on at least the simulated background traffic and an output link capacity associated with the node; and calculating a length of the simulated queue based on at least the computed rate of growth and lengths of the foreground data packets; and (d) making a forwarding decision at the node with respect to the foreground traffic based on the calculated length of the simulated queue, wherein the forwarding decision comprises one of;
(i) forwarding at least one of the foreground data packets through the node via an egress media interface to the connection to the client;
or discarding at least one of the foreground data packets. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A node emulator, having connections to a server and a client, comprising:
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an ingress media interface, which receives incoming foreground traffic from the connection to the server; a packet queue to receive incoming foreground traffic from the ingress media interface, wherein the foreground traffic comprises foreground data packets; an egress media interface, which transmits foreground traffic to the connection to the client; a background traffic generator to simulate background traffic internally at the node emulator, the simulated background traffic contending with the foreground traffic at the node emulator; and a foreground packet scheduler forwarder to cause the foreground data packets to be forwarded from the packet queue to the egress media interface, wherein the foreground packet scheduler forwarder; simulates the packet queue based on at least the simulated background traffic and the foreground traffic; computes a rate of growth of the simulated packet queue based on at least the simulated background traffic and an output link capacity associated with the node emulator; calculates a length of the simulated packet queue based on at least the computed rate of growth and lengths of the foreground data packets; and makes a forwarding decision with respect to foreground traffic in the packet queue, the forwarding decision being dependent on the calculated length of the simulated packet queue, and wherein the forwarding decision comprises one of;
(i) forwarding a foreground data packet through the node emulator to the egress media interface;
or (ii) discarding the foreground data packet. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A system to emulate the effect of simulated background traffic on foreground traffic comprising:
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a server to generate foreground traffic, wherein the foreground traffic includes foreground data packets; a node emulator coupled to the server and configured to receive the foreground traffic, to simulate background traffic to contend with the foreground traffic at the node, and to forward the foreground traffic via an egress media interface; and a client coupled to the node emulator to receive the foreground traffic forwarded from the node emulator via the egress media interface, wherein the node emulator; simulates a queue based on at least the simulated background traffic and the foreground traffic received at the node emulator; computes a rate of growth of the simulated queue based on at least the simulated background traffic and an output link capacity associated with the node emulator; calculates a length of the simulated queue based on at least the computed rate of growth and lengths of the foreground data packets; and makes a forwarding decision with respect to the foreground traffic dependent on the computed length of the simulated queue, and wherein the forwarding decision includes one of;
(i) discarding a foreground data packet;
or (ii) scheduling the foreground data packet for forwarding to the client. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. A computer readable medium containing instructions for performing a method of emulating network traffic through a node having connections to a server and a client, the method comprising:
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(a) simulating background traffic internally at the node, the simulated background traffic contending with foreground traffic received at the node; (b) determining, at the node, an effect of the simulated background traffic on the foreground traffic received at the node, wherein the foreground traffic comprises foreground data packets received at the node, wherein the determining comprises simulating a queue based on at least the simulated background traffic and the foreground traffic received at the node, wherein the determining further comprises; computing a rate of growth of the simulated queue based on at least the simulated background traffic and an output link capacity associated with the node; and calculating a length of the simulated queue based on at least the computed rate of growth and lengths of the foreground data packets; and (c) making a forwarding decision, at the node, with respect to the foreground traffic, depending on the calculated length of the simulated queue, and wherein the forwarding decision includes one of;
(i) discarding a foreground data packet;
or scheduling the foreground data packet for forwarding to the connection to the client via an egress media interface. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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Specification