Automated network infrastructure test and diagnostic system and method therefor

• US 9,148,293 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2011
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sons of Innovation LLC
• Original Assignee: Circadence Corporation
• Inventors: McFate, Marlin Popeye, Vange, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): LAZARO, DAVID R
• Application Number:
  US13/300,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20120066357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5021 Priority
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5088 involving task migration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0813 characterised by the conditions triggering a change of settings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/193 at the transport layer, e.g. TCP related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1408 by monitoring network traffic monitoring network traffic per se H04L43/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1458 Denial of Service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 : for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 : Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 : based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 : based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 : based on client or server locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 : using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1031 : Controlling of the operation of servers by a load balancer, e.g. adding or removing servers that serve requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 : Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 : Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 : Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 : Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 : Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 : Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 : Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 : Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 : taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 : Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A testing system provides automated testing of one or more network infrastructures. The testing system may automatically reconfigure one or more devices within a network infrastructure and then conduct testing on the newly configured network infrastructure. Test results may be used to diagnose network anomalies and to compare performance or other characteristics of various network configurations. In one embodiment, the testing system tests a communication channel between a front-end and back-end mechanism where data traffic is encoded between the front-end and back-end mechanism.

Claims

1. A testing system for a network comprising:

a first network infrastructure configuration and a second network infrastructure configuration, both defining operational settings for one or more testing devices;

a configuration test file comprising changes to said first network infrastructure configuration and said second network infrastructure configuration;

a first testing device configured to send request/response traffic and to modify the first network infrastructure configuration and said second network infrastructure configuration according to said configuration test file at a time when said request/response traffic is being sent, said first testing device operating according to the first network infrastructure configuration;

a second testing device configured to receive said request/response traffic, said second testing device operating according to the second network infrastructure configuration;

at least one communication link between said first testing device and said second testing device;

wherein said first testing device and said second testing device are further configured to conduct one or more performance tests by transferring said request/response traffic between said first testing device and said second testing device through said at least one communication link, whereby one or more test results are generated by said one or more performance tests.

2. The testing system of claim 1 further comprising one or more network devices that establish said at least one communication link between said first testing device and said second testing device, said one or more network devices operating according to a network infrastructure configuration, wherein said first testing device or said second testing device is configured to modify said network infrastructure configuration.

3. The testing system of claim 2, wherein said first testing device and said second testing device are configured to encode said request/response traffic according to preselected compatible semantics, and wherein said act of encoding comprises communicating quality of service information about said at least one communication link between said first testing device and said second testing device.

4. The testing system of claim 1, wherein said first testing device and said second testing device selectively activate and deactivate encoding of said request/response traffic from a first protocol to a second protocol when said first network infrastructure configuration and said second network infrastructure configuration are modified.

5. The testing system of claim 1, wherein said first testing device comprises a processor configured to interpret said configuration test file, a network interface configured to send said request/response traffic, and a memory device configured to store said configuration test file.

6. The testing system of claim 1 further comprising a web server configured to receive said one or more test results and to generate one or more web pages displaying said one or more test results.

7. A testing system comprising:

one or more network interfaces for communication with a plurality of network devices, the plurality of network devices establishing a communication link having a first end and a second end;

a configuration test file stored on a memory device, said configuration test file comprising settings for controlling operation of each of said plurality of network devices;

a processor configured to generate test results by conducting a plurality of data transfers between at least two of said plurality of network devices at said first and second end of said communication link to performance test said communication link;

wherein said one or more network interfaces send at least some of said settings to said plurality of network devices between at least two of said plurality of data transfers, said at least some settings changing operation of said plurality of network devices between said at least two of said plurality of data transfers.

8. The testing system of claim 7, wherein said at least some of said settings are configured to activate and deactivate a data transport mechanism between said plurality of network devices.

9. The testing system of claim 8, wherein said data transport mechanism utilizes a communication protocol other than TCP/IP when activated.

10. The testing system of claim 7 wherein said one or more network interfaces are configured to provide a secure communication link for sending said at least some of said settings to said plurality of network devices.

11. The testing system of claim 7 further comprising a display, wherein said test results are formatted and displayed on said display.

12. The testing system of claim 7, wherein said configuration test file comprises one or more functions executable by said processor during said one or more performance tests.

13. The testing system of claim 7, wherein said test results comprise network characteristics selected from the group consisting of throughput, bandwidth, latency, quality of service, error rate, and utilization.

14. A method for testing a network infrastructure comprising:

reading one or more first and second device settings from a configuration test file;

sending at least some of said one or more first device settings to a first network device to configure said first network device;

sending at least some of said one or more first device settings to a second network device to configure said second network device;

sending at least some of said one or more second device settings to a first network device to reconfigure said first network device;

sending at least some of said one or more second device settings to a second network device to reconfigure said second network device;

conducting one or more tests by executing a plurality of data transfers between said first network device and said second network device while said first network device and said second network device are configured with said at least some of said first device settings, and while said first network device and said second network device are configured with said at least some of said second device settings; and

repeating the above steps one or more times.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first testing device comprises a front-end mechanism, and the second testing device comprises a back-end mechanism.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising sending at least some of said first or second device settings to one or more third network devices located between the first and second network device in the network infrastructure, wherein said plurality of data transfers occurs through said one or more third network devices.

17. The methood of claim 14, wherein said configuration test file comprises one or more portions defining at least one test where said first network device and said second network device are configured to encode data according to a first protocol and at least another test where said first network device and said second network device are configured to encode data according to a second protocol, the second protocol distinct from the first.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of data transfers comprise transferring HTTP traffic generated by the first network device and the second network device between the first network device and the second network device.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising storing test results from said plurality of data transfers that occurred during said one or more tests.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising sending said test results to a web server to allow said test results to be viewed on one or more web pages.