Detecting and isolating dropped or out-of-order packets in communication networks

• US 8,948,020 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2012
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Astigarraga, Tara, Browne, Michael E., Dickens, Louie A., Paugh, Justin F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Chuong T
• Application Number:
  US13/710,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20140160952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 370/241, 370/241.1, 370/242, 370/248, 370/252, 370/253, 370/254, 714/776
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0835 One way packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/357 Fibre channel switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A processor-implemented method for analyzing dropped or out of order data packets that are sent from an initiating device over a communications network is provided. The processor-implemented method may include receiving, by a processor, a predetermined plurality of test data packets from the initiating device over the communications network. At least one of the predetermined plurality of test data packets that are dropped or received out of order may be determined by the processor. A header portion corresponding to the at least one of the predetermined plurality of test data packets that are dropped or received out of order may then be accessed. The accessed header portion is sent, by the processor, to the initiating device, whereby the accessed header portion may include information associated with a device location at which the one or more of the predetermined plurality of test data packets are dropped or received out of order.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method for analyzing dropped or out of order data packets that are sent from an initiating device over a communications network, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a predetermined plurality of test data packets from the initiating device over the communications network;

determining, by the processor, at least one of the predetermined plurality of test data packets that are dropped or received out of order, wherein the at least one of the predetermined plurality of test data packets are dropped based on determining header information that is corrupt, and wherein the header information is determined to be corrupt based on determining at least one of missing header information, invalid header information, and unreadable header information;

accessing, by the processor, a header portion corresponding to the at least one of the predetermined plurality of test data packets that are dropped or received out of order, wherein the accessed header portion comprises information associated with a network communication device at which the at least one of the predetermined plurality of test data packets that are dropped or received out of order, wherein the network communication device comprises a switch device and a network adapter device, wherein the information associated with the network communication device comprises switch port information corresponding to the switch device and network adaptor information corresponding to the network adaptor device;

writing, by the processor, the header information of the at least one of the predetermined plurality of test data packets that are dropped or received out of order into a table or log on the network communications device; and

sending, by the processor, the accessed header portion to the initiating device, wherein the accessed header portion includes information associated with a device location at which the one or more of the predetermined plurality of test data packets are dropped or received out of order.

2. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the device location comprises at least one of switch port information and network adaptor information.

3. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the accessed header portion further includes a source and destination address for the at least one of the predetermined plurality of test data packets that are dropped or received out of order.

4. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the accessed header portion further includes error detection codes for the at least one of the predetermined plurality of test data packets that are dropped or received out of order.

5. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the accessed header portion further includes sequencing information for the at least one of the predetermined plurality of test data packets that are dropped or received out of order.

6. The processor-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating, by the processor, a timer having a time value; and

comparing, by the processor, the time value with a predetermined time limit.

7. The processor-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

identifying, by the processor, one or more of the predetermined plurality of test data packets as being dropped based on the one or more of the predetermined plurality of test data packets failing to arrive prior to the time value exceeding the predetermined time limit.

8. A processor-implemented method for analyzing dropped or out of order data packets that are sent from an initiating device over a communications network, comprising:

monitoring, by a processor, a plurality of ports corresponding to a network communication device, wherein the network communication device comprises a switch device and a network adapter device;

setting, by the processor, a defined threshold for a number of dropped or out of order data packets in an exchange with the network communication device;

receiving, by the processor, a plurality of data packets in the exchange from the initiating device to the network communication device via the communications network;

determining, by the processor, at least one of the of the data packets in the exchange that are dropped or received out of order, wherein the at least one of the data packets in the exchange that are dropped based on determining header information that is corrupt, and wherein the header information is determined to be corrupt based on determining at least one of missing header information, invalid header information, and unreadable header information;

accessing, by the processor, a header portion corresponding to the at least one of the data packets in the exchange that are dropped or received out of order, wherein the accessed header portion comprises information associated with the network communication device at which the one or more of the data packets in the exchange are dropped or received out of order, wherein the information associated with the network communication device comprises switch port information corresponding to the switch device and network adaptor information corresponding to the network adaptor device and

writing, by the processor, the header information of the at least one of the data packets in the exchange that are dropped or received out of order into a table or log on the network communications device.

9. The processor-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

sending, by the processor, the accessed header portion of the at least one of the data packets in the exchange that are dropped or received out of order to the initiating device.

10. The processor-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the information associated with the network communication device comprises network communication device location information.

11. The processor-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the accessed header portion further includes a source and a destination address for the at least one of the data packets in the exchange that are dropped or received out of order.

12. The processor-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the accessed header portion further includes error detection codes for the at least one of the data packets in the exchange that are dropped or received out of order.

13. The processor-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the accessed header portion further includes sequencing information for the at least one of the data packets in the exchange that are dropped or received out of order.

14. The processor-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

activating, by the processor, a threshold having a numerical value; and

comparing, by the processor, the threshold with the number of data packets that are dropped or received out of order in the exchange.

15. The processor-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the initiating device is a host or a server running central monitoring software.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium for storing a computer program for analyzing dropped or out of order data packets that are sent from an initiating device over a communications network, wherein the computer program comprises:

receiving a predetermined plurality of test data packets from the initiating device over the communications network;

determining at least one of the predetermined plurality of test data packets that are dropped or received out of order, wherein the at least one of the predetermined plurality of test data packets are dropped based on determining header information that is corrupt, and wherein the header information is determined to be corrupt based on determining at least one of missing header information, invalid header information, and unreadable header information;

accessing a header portion corresponding to the at least one of the predetermined plurality of test data packets that are dropped or received out of order, wherein the accessed header portion comprises information associated with a network communication device at which the at least one of the predetermined plurality of test data packets that are dropped or received out of order, wherein the network communication device comprises a switch device and a network adapter device, wherein the information associated with the network communication device comprises switch port information corresponding to the switch device and network adaptor information corresponding to the network adaptor device;

writing the header information of the at least one of the predetermined plurality of test data packets that are dropped or received out of order into a table or log on the network communications device; and

sending the accessed header portion to the initiating device, wherein the accessed header portion includes information associated with a device location at which the one or more of the predetermined plurality of test data packets are dropped or received out of order.

17. A system for analyzing dropped or out of order data packets that are sent from an initiating device over a communications network comprising:

a memory; and

a processor disposed in communication with the memory and configured to issue processing instructions stored in the memory to;

receive a predetermined plurality of test data packets from the initiating device over the communications network;

determine at least one of the predetermined plurality of test data packets that are dropped or received out of order, wherein the at least one of the predetermined plurality of test data packets are dropped based on determining header information that is corrupt, and wherein the header information is determined to be corrupt based on determining at least one of missing header information, invalid header information, and unreadable header information;

access a header portion corresponding to the at least one of the predetermined plurality of test data packets that are dropped or received out of order, wherein the accessed header portion comprises information associated with a network communication device at which the at least one of the predetermined plurality of test data packets that are dropped or received out of order, wherein the network communication device comprises a switch device and a network adapter device, wherein the information associated with the network communication device comprises switch port information corresponding to the switch device and network adaptor information corresponding to the network adaptor device;

write the header information of the at least one of the predetermined plurality of test data packets that are dropped or received out of order into a table or log on the network communications device; and

send the accessed header portion to the initiating device, wherein the accessed header portion includes information associated with a device location at which the one or more of the predetermined plurality of test data packets are dropped or received out of order.