Method for embedding meta-commands in normal network packets

• US 8,838,820 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2012
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Empirix Incorporated (Empirix Holdings I, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Empirix Incorporated (Empirix Holdings I, Inc.)
• Inventors: Eidelman, Sergey, Turgeon, Anne-Marie, Ivanyi, Tibor, Hsing-Wang Wong, David, Nath, Anuj
• Primary Examiner(s): Daftuar, Saket K
• Application Number:
  US13/529,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20120259993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709/231, 709/232, 709/233, 709/234, 709/236, 709/237, 709/238, 709/203, 709/202, 709/248, 709/246, 709/247, 709/242, 709/243, 709/244, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229, 709/235, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/466, 370/389, 370/392, 370/485, 370/396, 370/401, 370/404, 370/410, 370/512, 370/259, 379/90.01, 379/93.01, 379/93.05, 379/93.09, 379/100.15, 379/100.16, 379/88.17, 379/265, 379/266, 715/734, 715/735, 715/736, 715/738, 715/739, 715/740, 715/741, 715/742, 715/743, 703/20, 703/21, 703/22, 703/23, 703/26, 703/27
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5083 wherein the managed service relates to web hosting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5096 wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/55 Testing of service level quality, e.g. simulating service usage

Abstract

A method for synchronizing different components of a computer network system using meta-commands embedded in normal network packets. The data communication channel between different components of a computer network system can be used to transport meta-commands piggybacked in normal network packets, without modifying or compromising the validity of the protocol message. Embodiments of the method can be used for embedding test synchronization and control commands into the network packets sent through a device or system under test. The device or system under test can be an edge device, with the data communication channel carrying normal packets containing meta-commands embedded in the packets to synchronize the test control of the test clients and the test servers connected to the edge device.

Claims

1. A method of embedding meta data in a request sent from a first component to a second component of a computer network system having one or more network nodes between the first component and the second component, comprising the steps of:

at the first component, embedding the meta data in one or more fields in the request, wherein the one or more fields are available according to a protocol and specify control information and data information, wherein the embedding of the meta data alters one or more values of the one or more fields without causing the request to be invalid according to the protocol, is transparent to the one or more network nodes, and does not alter the data information, wherein the one or more network nodes comprise a network node under test, wherein the request sent from the first component is forwarded to the second component by the network node under test in accordance with the protocol, and wherein the meta data comprises control information for and controlling how the request will be handled by the second component;

sending the request from the first component to the second component using the protocol;

at the second component, decoding the meta data from the one or more fields in the request; and

taking an action on the second component according to the meta data, wherein the action is independent of the data information contained in the request;

wherein the first component is a test client and the second component is test server, the test client and test server being contained in separate devices interconnected via the network;

wherein the network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network; and

wherein the protocol and fields employed by the first component for embedding the meta data used to control the action performed on the second component are selected from the following groups and fields;

(1) the group consisting of HTTP, HTTPS, SIP, TRSP, and MGCP, in which case the one or more fields are one or more custom message elements from the protocol;

(2) the group consisting of FTP and TFTP, in which case the one or more fields are one or more string message elements from the protocol; and

(3) the group consisting of MGCP, DNS, and RTP, in which case the one or more fields are one or more numeric message elements from the protocol.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more fields are one or more custom message elements from the protocol.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the protocol is selected from the group consisting of HTTP, HTTPS, SIP, TRSP, and MGCP.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more fields are one or more string message elements from the protocol.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the protocol is selected from the group consisting of FTP and TFTP.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the meta data is enclosed within a predetermined sequence of one or more characters.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more fields are one or more numeric message elements from the protocol.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the protocol is selected from the group consisting of MGCP, DNS, and RTP.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the one or more numeric message elements consist of floating point elements, integer elements, and binary elements.

28. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the meta data comprises information for emulating network traffic passing through the network node under test.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the network traffic is emulated based on a behavior profile associated with a user of the computer system network.

30. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the protocol is a session initiation protocol (SIP) and the network node under test is a border controller;

and wherein control commands are embedded in either SIP extension headers or custom parameters of standard SIP headers.

31. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the control commands are embedded in a SIP INVITE request, and indicate how a call is to be handled by the second component.

32. The method as recited in claim 31, wherein the control commands are embedded by modifying one of the following strings of a message header of the SIP INVITE request:

(1) a string for a “

From”

parameter;

(2) a string for a “

To”

parameter; and

(3) a string for a “

Contact”

parameter.

33. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the protocol is an HTTP protocol;

and wherein a control command is embedded in an HTTP referrer header, wherein the referrer header is modified by appending a predefined syntax structure or character sequence representing a command to the second component.

34. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the protocol is an HTTP protocol;

and wherein a test control command is embedded in an HTTP Etag header, wherein the Etag header is modified by appending a predefined syntax structure or character sequence representing a command to the second component.

35. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the protocol is an HTTP protocol;

and wherein a test control command is embedded in an HTTP cookie header, wherein the cookie header is modified by appending a predefined syntax structure or character sequence representing a command to the second component.

36. The method recited in claim 1, wherein a filename field of the FTP or TFTP protocol is employed by the first component for embedding meta data used to control the action performed on the second component.

37. The method recited in claim 36, wherein the meta data is embedded in a filename field of a STOR command or a RETR command.

38. The method recited in claim 1, wherein a username field of the FTP or TFTP protocol is employed by the first component for embedding meta data used to control the action performed on the second component.

39. The method recited in claim 1, wherein a server URL path field of the FTP or TFTP protocol is employed by the first component for embedding meta data used to control the action performed on the second component.

40. The method recited in claim 1, wherein a password field of the FTP or TFTP protocol is employed by the first component for embedding meta data used to control the action performed on the second component.

41. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the protocol is DNS and a transaction ID field is employed by the first component for embedding meta data used to control the action performed on the second component.

10. A method of embedding meta data in a request sent from a first component to a second component of a computer network system having one or more network nodes between the first component and the second component, comprising the steps of:

at the first component, embedding the meta data in one or more fields in the request, wherein the one or more fields are available according to a protocol and specify control information and data information, wherein the embedding of the meta data alters one or more values of the one or more fields without causing the request to be invalid according to the protocol, is transparent to the one or more network nodes, and does not alter the data information, wherein the one or more network nodes comprise a network node under test, wherein the request sent from the first component is to be forwarded to the second component by the network node under test in accordance with the protocol and to test the network node under test'"'"'s ability to forward the request, and wherein the meta data comprises control information for controlling how the request will be handled by the second component; and

sending the request from the first component to the second component using the protocol;

wherein the first component is a test client and the second component is test server, the test client and test server being contained in separate devices interconnected via the network;

wherein the network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network; and

wherein the protocol and fields employed by the first component for embedding the meta data used to control the action performed on the second component are selected from the following groups and fields;

(1) the group consisting of HTTP, HTTPS, SIP, TRSP, and MGCP, in which case the one or more fields are one or more custom message elements from the protocol;

(2) the group consisting of FTP and TFTP, in which case the one or more fields are one or more string message elements from the protocol; and

(3) the group consisting of MGCP, DNS, and RTP, in which case the one or more fields are one or more numeric message elements from the protocol.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the one or more fields are one or more custom message elements from the protocol.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the protocol is selected from the group consisting of HTTP, HTTPS, SIP, TRSP, and MGCP.

13. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the one or more fields are one or more string message elements from the protocol.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the protocol is selected from the group consisting of FTP and TFTP.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the meta data is enclosed within a predetermined sequence of one or more characters.

16. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the one or more fields are one or more numeric message elements from the protocol.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the protocol is selected from the group consisting of MGCP, DNS, and RTP.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the one or more numeric message elements consist of floating point elements, integer elements, and binary elements.

19. A method of decoding meta data embedded in a request received by a second component of a computer network system from a first component of the computer network system, the computer network system having one or more network nodes between the first component and the second component, comprising the steps of:

at the second component, decoding the meta data from one or more fields in the request, wherein the one or more fields are available according to a protocol and specify control information and data information, wherein the meta data comprises control information controlling how the request will be handled by the second component, wherein the meta data alters one or more values of the one or more fields of without causing the request to be invalid according to the protocol, is transparent to the one or more network nodes, and does not alter the data information, wherein the one or more network nodes comprise a network node under test, and wherein the request received by the second component is forwarded from the first component by the network node under test in accordance with the protocol and to test the network node under test'"'"'s ability to forward the request; and

allowing the second component to take an action according to the meta data, wherein the action is independent of the data information contained in the request;

wherein the first component is a test client and the second component is test server, the test client and test server being contained in separate devices interconnected via the network;

wherein the network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network; and

wherein the protocol and fields employed by the first component for embedding the meta data used to control the action performed on the second component are selected from the following groups and fields;

(1) the group consisting of HTTP, HTTPS, SIP, TRSP, and MGCP, in which case the one or more fields are one or more custom message elements from the protocol;

(2) the group consisting of FTP and TFTP, in which case the one or more fields are one or more string message elements from the protocol; and

(3) the group consisting of MGCP, DNS, and RTP, in which case the one or more fields are one or more numeric message elements from the protocol.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the one or more fields are one or more custom message elements from the protocol.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the protocol is selected from the group consisting of HTTP, HTTPS, SIP, TRSP, and MGCP.

22. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the one or more fields are one or more string message elements from the protocol.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the protocol is selected from the group consisting of FTP and TFTP.

24. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the meta data is enclosed within a predetermined sequence of one or more characters.

25. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the one or more fields are one or more numeric message elements from the protocol.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the protocol is selected from the group consisting of MGCP, DNS, and RTP.

27. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the one or more numeric message elements consist of floating point elements, integer elements, and binary elements.