Zone-based network traffic analysis

• US 9,210,046 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2011
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Narasappa, Sumanth
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khurshid, Zia
• Application Number:
  US13/046,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20120239796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,730 Days
• Field of Search: 370223-330, 709223-224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/142 using statistical or mathematical methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/03 by updating link state protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/033 by updating distance vector protocols

Abstract

Network discovery is performed to detect routers and to collect discovery data from them. The discovery data is analyzed to identify zones, i.e., autonomous routing domains and subdomain areas. Network traffic is monitored at border router ports to obtain zone traffic data. The zone traffic data is analyzed to evaluate per-zone or inter-zone traffic parameters.

Claims

1. A process comprising:

performing, by a computer, discovery on a network to detect and collect discovery data from a plurality of routers;

analyzing, by the computer, the discovery data to identify zones including autonomous routing domains and subdomain areas;

analyzing, by the computer, the discovery data to identify border router ports;

in response to identification of said border router ports, configuring, by the computer, said border router ports to monitor network traffic through the border router ports;

obtaining, by the computer, the monitored network traffic from said border router ports to obtain network traffic data; and

analyzing, by the computer, said network traffic data to evaluate per-zone or inter-zone traffic parameters.

2. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said discovery involves identifying protocols used by said routers.

3. The process as recited in claim 2, wherein said protocols include at least one routing protocol selected from a set consisting of an OSPF protocol and an IS-IS protocol, said zones including subdomain areas defined by the selected routing protocol.

4. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said analyzing discovery data involves distinguishing internal routers internal to an area, border routers arranged for inter-area communications, and border routers arranged for communications between routing domains.

5. The process as recited in claim 4, wherein said border routers employ an eBGP routing protocol.

6. A computer comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory media encoded with machine readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to;

collect discovery data from a plurality of routers,

analyze the discovery data to identify border router ports;

in response to identification of border router ports, configure said border router ports to monitor network traffic through the border router ports;

obtain the monitored network traffic from the border router ports to obtain network traffic data between zones; and

analyze said network traffic data between said zones to evaluate per-zone or inter-zone traffic parameters.

7. The computer as recited in claim 6, wherein said discovery data includes data indicating routing protocols enabled at ports of said routers.

8. The computer as recited in claim 7, wherein the machine readable instructions are further to cause the processor to identify those of said router ports that are border ports, said border router ports including routing-domain border ports and subdomain area border router ports of said routers.

9. The computer as recited in claim 7, wherein the machine readable instructions are further to cause the processor to identify router ports having at least one enabled routing protocol selected from a set consisting of OSPF and IS-IS.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium on which is stored machine readable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

perform network discovery so as to detect routers having interface ports and routing protocols enabled at each of the network interface ports of the routers;

analyze results of said network discovery to identify zones, said zones including routing domains and subdomain areas;

analyze the results of said network discovery to identify border router ports;

in response to identification of said border router ports, configure said border router ports to monitor network traffic through the border router ports;

obtain the monitored network traffic from said border router ports to obtain network traffic data; and

analyze said network traffic data to evaluate per-zone or inter-zone traffic parameters.

11. The non-transitory computer storage readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein said subdomain areas are defined by router ports enabled for at least one routing protocol selected from a set consisting of OSPF and IS-IS.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein said routing domains are defined by routing ports enabled for an eBGP routing protocol.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the machine readable instructions are further to cause the processor to:

selectively set up traffic monitoring at area border and routing domain border router ports to enable capture of zone traffic data; and

analyze said zone traffic data to evaluate per-zone or inter-zone traffic parameters.