Dynamically troubleshooting voice quality

• US 8,982,719 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2011
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Seetharaman, Anantha Narayanan, Chokshi, Jayesh A., Blatnik, Jennifer Mun
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAMPTON, TARELL A
• Application Number:
  US13/156,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20110235543A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,377 Days
• Field of Search: 370/241, 370/250, 370/251, 379/32.01
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/087 Jitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

In an example embodiment, a method for dynamically troubleshooting voice quality. The method comprises generating a request to intercept a predetermined data stream on a network, acquiring a replicated copy of the intercepted data stream responsive to the request and analyzing the replicated copy of the intercepted data stream.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for dynamically troubleshooting voice quality, the method, comprising:

acquiring encrypted call setup information via a first stream;

requesting a predetermined data stream on a network to analyze, wherein the requesting comprises searching for a Real-Time Transport Protocol port and an Internet Protocol address of the data stream at a voice gateway;

determining an intercept access point the predetermined data stream passes through based on the call setup information;

acquiring an encrypted replicated copy of the predetermined data stream, via a second stream, responsive to the request by intercepting the predetermined data stream at the intercept access point; and

obtaining an audio representation of the encrypted replicated copy of the predetermined data stream thereby enabling an administrator to subjectively determine a quality of the predetermined data stream.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined data stream is acquired from a gateway server in data communication with an endpoint of the data stream.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the data stream is selected from a group consisting of a voice stream, a data stream and a video stream.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the data stream is a voice stream.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the analyzing the encrypted replicated copy of the predetermined data stream analyzes communication content;

the analysis is selected from the group of consisting of generating a Mean Opinion Score for the encrypted replicated data stream and generating a Packet Perceptual Speech Quality Measurement for the encrypted replicated data stream.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the analyzing the encrypted replicated copy of the predetermined data stream further comprises analyzing signal parameters and a waveform of the encrypted replicated stream.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the analyzing the encrypted replicated copy of the predetermined data stream further comprises analyzing whether the encrypted replicated data stream contains data packets with errors.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the call setup information is for a Voice over Internet Protocol data stream.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

the obtaining the audio representation of the encrypted replicated copy of the predetermined data stream comprises obtaining an audio representation of the encrypted replicated copy of the predetermined data stream.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

means for acquiring encrypted call setup information via a first stream;

means for generating a request to intercept a predetermined data stream on a network, the means for generating the request comprising means for searching for a Real-Time Transport Protocol port and an Internet Protocol address of the predetermined data stream at a voice gateway;

means for determining an intercept access point the predetermined data stream passes through based on the call setup information;

means for acquiring an encrypted replicated copy of the predetermined data stream, via a second stream, responsive to the request by intercepting the predetermined data stream at the intercept access point; and

means for obtaining an audio representation of the encrypted replicated copy of the predetermined data stream for use by an associated administrator to subjectively determine a quality of the predetermined data stream.

11. The apparatus set forth in claim 9, wherein:

the means for obtaining the audio representation of the encrypted replicated copy of the predetermined data stream comprises means for obtaining an audio representation of the encrypted replicated copy of the predetermined data stream.

12. The apparatus set forth in claim 9, further comprising:

means for analyzing a communication content of the encrypted replicated copy of the predetermined data stream, wherein the analyzing is selected from the group of consisting of generating a Mean Opinion Score for the encrypted replicated data stream and generating a Packet Perceptual Speech Quality Measurement for the encrypted replicated data stream.

13. A computer implemented method for dynamically troubleshooting voice quality, the method, comprising:

acquiring encrypted call setup information via a first stream;

acquiring a Real-Time Transport Protocol port and an Internet Protocol address of a predetermined data stream;

requesting the predetermined data stream on a network using the acquired Real-Time Transport Protocol port and Internet Protocol address of the predetermined data stream at at least one of a voice gateway or a video gateway;

determining an intercept access point the predetermined data stream passes through based on the call setup information;

acquiring an encrypted replicated copy of the predetermined data stream, via a second stream, responsive to the request by intercepting the predetermined data stream at the intercept access point; and

obtaining an audio representation of the encrypted replicated copy of the predetermined data stream thereby enabling an administrator to subjectively determine a quality of the predetermined data stream.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined data stream is acquired from a gateway server in data communication with an endpoint of the data stream.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the data stream is selected from a group consisting of a voice stream, a data stream and a video stream.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the analyzing the encrypted replicated copy of the predetermined data stream analyzes communication content;

the analysis is selected from the group of consisting of generating a Mean Opinion Score for the encrypted replicated data stream and generating a Packet Perceptual Speech Quality Measurement for the encrypted replicated data stream.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the analyzing the encrypted replicated copy of the predetermined data stream further comprises analyzing signal parameters and a waveform of the encrypted replicated stream.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the analyzing the encrypted replicated copy of the predetermined data stream further comprises analyzing whether the encrypted replicated data stream contains data packets with errors.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein the call setup information is for a Voice over Internet Protocol data stream.

20. The method according to claim 13, wherein:

the obtaining the audio representation of the encrypted replicated copy of the predetermined data stream comprises obtaining an audio representation of the encrypted replicated copy of the predetermined data stream.