Quality of service testing of communications networks
First Claim
1. A method of testing packet prioritization in a data network, comprising:
- transmitting stream of packet batches over said network from a sender to a receiver,wherein each packet batch contains high and low priority packets having a predetermined sending order;
receiving said stream of packet batches at said receiver;
for each packet batch at said receiver, determining a difference between a receiving order of packet arrival at said receiver of said high priority packets and said low priority packets relative to said predetermined sending order by measuring respective times of arrival at said receiver of said low priority data packets and said high priority data packets;
classifying each packet batch at said receiver as;
a fully valid batch if all packets are received and all low priority packets thereof are received in the predetermined sending order;
a valid batch if at least one low priority packet but not all low priority packets thereof are received and all received low priority packets are in the predetermined sending order; and
an invalid batch otherwise;
computing a numerical value according to a predetermined function of said respective times of arrival at said receiver of said low priority data packets and said high priority data packets according to the fully valid batches and the valid batches thereof;
comparing said numerical value to a lower predetermined numerical threshold and an upper predetermined numerical threshold; and
determining a performance of said packet prioritization according to a result of said comparing, wherein;
if said numerical value is above said upper predetermined numerical threshold, then determining that the network supports high-quality realtime traffic;
if said numerical value is below said lower predetermined numerical threshold, then determining that the network fails to support high-quality realtime traffic;
and determining that said testing is inconclusive otherwise.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Network testing is conducted using a pair of traffic agents that acts as sender and receiver endpoints. The sending traffic agent generates and transmits a stream of packet batches, each batch being composed of high and low priority packets in a predetermined sending order. The receiving traffic agent analyzes the order of packet arrival in the stream relative to the sending order, and returns results to a traffic control module. Path speed and the priority classification of the traffic are parameters used to configure the tests. The tests are typically run periodically under different load conditions in order to evaluate the effects of other traffic being concurrently transiting the network.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of testing packet prioritization in a data network, comprising:
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transmitting stream of packet batches over said network from a sender to a receiver, wherein each packet batch contains high and low priority packets having a predetermined sending order; receiving said stream of packet batches at said receiver; for each packet batch at said receiver, determining a difference between a receiving order of packet arrival at said receiver of said high priority packets and said low priority packets relative to said predetermined sending order by measuring respective times of arrival at said receiver of said low priority data packets and said high priority data packets; classifying each packet batch at said receiver as; a fully valid batch if all packets are received and all low priority packets thereof are received in the predetermined sending order; a valid batch if at least one low priority packet but not all low priority packets thereof are received and all received low priority packets are in the predetermined sending order; and an invalid batch otherwise; computing a numerical value according to a predetermined function of said respective times of arrival at said receiver of said low priority data packets and said high priority data packets according to the fully valid batches and the valid batches thereof; comparing said numerical value to a lower predetermined numerical threshold and an upper predetermined numerical threshold; and determining a performance of said packet prioritization according to a result of said comparing, wherein; if said numerical value is above said upper predetermined numerical threshold, then determining that the network supports high-quality realtime traffic; if said numerical value is below said lower predetermined numerical threshold, then determining that the network fails to support high-quality realtime traffic; and determining that said testing is inconclusive otherwise. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer software product comprising a computer-readable medium in which computer program instructions are stored, said computer readable medium selected from a group consisting of magnetic storage devices, optical storage devices, hardware components and combinations thereof, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for testing packet prioritization in a data network, including:
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transmitting a stream of packet batches over the network from a sender to a receiver, wherein each packet batch contains high and low priority packets having a predetermined sending order; receiving said stream of packet batches at said receiver; for each packet batch at said receiver, determining a difference between a receiving order of packet arrival at said receiver of said high priority packets and said low priority packets relative to said sending order by measuring respective times of arrival at said receiver of said low priority data packets and said high priority data packets; classifying each packet batch at said receiver as; a fully valid batch if all packets are received and all low priority packets thereof are received in the predetermined sending order; a valid batch if at least one low priority packet but not all low priority packets thereof are received and all received low priority packets are in the predetermined sending order; and an invalid batch otherwise; computing a numerical value according to a predetermined function of said respective times of arrival at said receiver of said low priority data packets and said high priority data packets according to the fully valid batches and the valid batches thereof;
comparing said numerical value to a lower predetermined numerical threshold; and
an upper predetermined numerical threshold; and
determining a performance of said packet prioritization according to a result of said comparing, wherein;if said numerical value is above said upper predetermined numerical threshold, then determining that the network supports high-quality realtime traffic; if said numerical value is below said lower predetermined numerical threshold, then determining that the network fails to support high-quality realtime traffic; and determining that said testing is inconclusive otherwise. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus for testing packet prioritization in a data network, comprising:
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a sending traffic agent and a receiving traffic agent, which are respectively coupled to a sender endpoint and a receiver endpoint of a path through the network; and a testing center coupled to said receiving traffic agent and to said sending traffic agent, said testing center configured for instructing said sending traffic agent to transmit stream of packet batches to said receiving traffic agent, said stream of packet batches being received by said receiving traffic agent, and said receiving traffic agent configured for; for each packet batch received at said receiving traffic agent determining an order of packet arrival of said high priority packets and said low priority packets by measuring respective times of arrival at said receiving traffic agent of said low priority data packets and said high priority data packets; classifying each packet batch at said receiver as; a fully valid batch if all packets are received and all low priority packets thereof are received in the predetermined sending order; a valid batch if at least one low priority packet but not all low priority packets thereof are received and all received low priority packets are in the predetermined sending order; and an invalid batch otherwise; computing a numerical value according to a predetermined function of said respective times of arrival at said receiver of said low priority data packets and said high priority data packets according to the fully valid batches and the valid batches thereof; comparing said numerical value to a lower predetermined numerical threshold and an upper predetermined numerical threshold; and determining a performance of said packet prioritization according to a result of said comparing, wherein; if said numerical value is above said upper predetermined numerical threshold, then determining that the network supports high-quality realtime traffic; if said numerical value is below said lower predetermined numerical threshold, then determining that the network fails to support high-quality realtime traffic; and
determining that said testing is inconclusive otherwise. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification