Monitoring network performance to identify sources of network performance degradation

• US 7,991,881 B2
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ramarathinam, Aravind, Bishop, Michael, Qian, Tin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Dustin
• Application Number:
  US12/072,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20090222553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 370/237, 370/252, 370/352, 370/236, 714/57
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/14 Network analysis or design
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/022 by sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

A method of measuring, for communication paths between a networked computer and at least one other networked computer connected via a network performance, network information to detect network performance degradation and diagnose source(s) of the performance degradation. The diagnosis may be performed by a progressive elimination of possible sources. Network performance degradation may be attributed to problems at a local network or the Internet. The problem sources on the Internet may comprise, for example, an internet server provider (ISP) or a single remote server in communication with the networked computer. A network performance baseline established and maintained for each path may be employed in diagnosing the network performance degradation.

Claims

1. A method of operating a networked computer connected to a wide area network through a local network to determine a source of network performance degradation, the method comprising:

tracking, during an interval of time, average network performance information for communications on a plurality of paths, wherein each path is between the networked computer and a device on the wide area network;

obtaining network communication information from at least one other networked computer on the local area network;

providing an indication that the performance degradation is caused by network cross traffic when the network communication information indicates that traffic on the local network is above a first threshold;

providing an indication that a source of the performance degradation is access to the wide area network when the network communication information does not indicate that traffic on the local network is above the first threshold and the average network performance information indicates a performance degradation with communications associated with a number above a second threshold of the plurality of paths; and

providing an indication that a source of the performance degradation is a device that is an endpoint of a path of the plurality of paths when the network communication information does not indicate traffic on the local network above the first threshold and the average network performance information indicates a performance degradation with a percentage of the plurality of paths that is below a third threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network communication information comprises measuring, for each path, a number of bytes sent and a number of bytes received by the networked computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the local network is a wireless network, further comprising providing an indication that the performance degradation is caused by a dynamic problem at a data link layer when the network communication information indicates that a throughput of at least one networked computer on the local network is above a fourth threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second threshold is one.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the third threshold is greater than two.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the average network performance information indicates the performance degradation of communications associated with the number above the second threshold of the plurality of paths when congestion on the wide area network is detected.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein tracking the average network performance information for the plurality of paths during the interval of time comprises maintaining a network performance baseline for each of the plurality of paths.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the performance degradation on the wide area network is detected when the network communication information indicates that a network performance of the wide area network is below the network performance baseline for multiple paths of the plurality of paths.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the performance degradation on the wide area network is detected when the network communication information indicates congestion.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein maintaining the network performance baseline comprises measuring and updating network performance parameters of the network performance baseline.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein measuring and updating the network performance parameters comprises determining whether values of the network performance parameters are within an expected range.

12. A tangible computer-readable medium article having a plurality of computer-executable modules for operating a networked computer connected to at least one device over at least one network, the computer-executable modules comprising:

computer-executable modules for determining a source of network performance degradation, the computer-executable modules comprising;

at least one computer-executable module for tracking, during an interval of time, average network performance information for communications on a plurality of paths, wherein each path is between the networked computer and a device on the wide area network;

at least one computer-executable module for obtaining network communication information from at least one other networked computer on a local area network;

at least one computer-executable module for providing an indication that the performance degradation is caused by network cross traffic when the network communication information indicates that traffic on the local network is above a first threshold;

at least one computer-executable module for providing an indication that a source of the performance degradation is access to the wide area network when the network communication information does not indicate that traffic on the local network is above the first threshold and the average network performance information indicates a performance degradation with communications associated with a number above a second threshold of the plurality of paths; and

at least one computer-executable module for providing an indication that a source of the performance degradation is a device that is an endpoint of a path of the plurality of paths when the network communication information does not indicate traffic on the local network above the first threshold and the average network performance information indicates a performance degradation with a percentage of the plurality of paths that is below a third threshold; and

computer-executable modules for determining whether the at least one network supports interactive application, the computer-executable modules comprising;

at least one computer-executable module for tracking average network performance information for communications between the networked computer and the at least one device over the at least one network; and

at least one computer-executable module for, in response to a request to initiate the interactive application that interacts with the at least one device, providing an indication, based on the average network performance information, whether the at least one network supports the interactive application.

13. The tangible computer-readable medium article of claim 12, wherein:

the second threshold is one; and

the third threshold is greater than two.

14. The tangible computer-readable medium article of claim 12, wherein tracking the average network performance information for the communications between the networked computer and the plurality of devices on the wide area network during the interval of time comprises maintaining a network performance baseline for at least one communication path between the networked computer and the plurality of devices on the wide area network.

15. The tangible computer-readable medium article of claim 12, wherein the average network performance information for communications between the networked computer and the at least one device over the at least one network comprises an estimate of a communication delay between the networked computer and the least one device, and providing the indication whether the at least one network supports the interactive application comprises providing an indication that the at least one network supports the interactive application when the communication delay is below a threshold.

16. A networked computer, connected to a wide area network through a local network, comprising at least one processor programmed to:

track, during an interval of time, average network performance information for communications on a plurality of paths, wherein each path is between the networked computer and a device on the wide area network;

obtain network communication information from at least one other networked computer on the local area network;

provide an indication that the performance degradation is caused by network cross traffic when the network communication information indicates that traffic on the local network is above a first threshold;

provide an indication that a source of the performance degradation is access to the wide area network when the network communication information does not indicate that traffic on the local network is above the first threshold and the average network performance information indicates a performance degradation with communications associated with a number above a second threshold of the plurality of paths; and

provide an indication that a source of the performance degradation is a device that is an endpoint of a path of the plurality of paths when the network communication information does not indicate traffic on the local network above the first threshold and the average network performance information indicates a performance degradation with a percentage of the plurality of paths that is below a third threshold.

17. The networked computer of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to obtain the network communication information at least in part by measuring, for each path, a number of bytes sent and a number of bytes received by the networked computer.

18. The networked computer of claim 16, wherein the local network is a wireless network, and wherein the at least one processor is programmed to provide an indication that the performance degradation is caused by a dynamic problem at a data link layer when the network communication information indicates that a throughput of at least one networked computer on the local network is above a fourth threshold.

19. The networked computer of claim 16, wherein the second threshold is one.

20. The networked computer of claim 16, wherein the third threshold is greater than two.