Simulation of Multiple Nodes in an Internetwork

• US 20110222407A1
• Filed: 03/11/2010
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron Networked Solutions, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Silver Spring Networks, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Inventors: McKernan, Daniel, Yeung, Wilson Chuen Yew, Matsuo, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,605,609 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network

Abstract

A method is provided for simulation of multiple network nodes in an internetwork. A range of a plurality of network addresses are assigned to a simulation node. The simulation node monitors network communications to listen for packets. Upon receipt of a packet having a destination address within the assigned range, a command is forwarded to an end-use application, such as firmware. The end-use application processes the command and returns a result. A response packet having the result is transmitted to the back office server with the destination address of the received packet as the source of the response packet.

Claims

1. A method of simulating communications with a plurality of network nodes comprising:

assigning a range of plural network addresses to a simulation node on a network;

monitoring communications on the network at said simulation node to detect data packets;

determining whether a detected data packet has a destination address within the assigned range of network addresses;

in response to a determination that the destination address of a detected packet is within the assigned range, processing a command in said packet and returning a result; and

transmitting a response packet having said result with the destination address of the detected packet as the source address of said response packet.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said network is a wireless network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said result is provided by a device connected to the simulation node.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said device is a meter.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said network comprises plural access points with which said simulation node communicates.

6. The method according to claim 3, said command comprises a request for information from said device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said command instructs said device to perform a function.

8. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of storing the destination address of a detected packet that is within the assigned range while said command is being processed, and retrieving the stored address when the result is returned.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein destination addresses of detected packets that are within the assigned range are stored in a first-in first-out buffer, and sequentially retrieved in the order in which the detected packets were received.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein each destination address is stored with a corresponding identifier and the identifier is returned with the result, and wherein the identifier is used to retrieve the stored address that is associated with the result.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said result is provided by a random number generator.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said addresses are Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.

13. A network node that simulates a plurality of nodes, comprising:

a network interface for receiving data packets transmitted via a network;

a processor; and

a memory having stored therein a simulation application and a range of plural network addresses, wherein said simulation application, when executed by said processor;

examines data packets received by said interface to determine whether they contain a destination address that is within said range of network addresses,

causes a command, which is contained in a received data packet having a destination address within said range, to be processed,

obtains a result from the processing of the command and formulates a response packet having a source address that is the same as the destination address of the received data packet, and

causes the network interface to transmit the response packet via the network.

14. The network node of claim 13, wherein said result is provided by a device connected to the simulation node.

15. The network node of claim 14, wherein said command comprises a request for information from said device.

16. The network node of claim 13, wherein the simulation application stores the destination address of a detected packet that is within the assigned range while said command is being processed, and retrieves the stored address when the result is returned.

17. The network node of claim 16, wherein destination addresses of detected packets that are within the assigned range are stored in a first-in first-out buffer, and sequentially retrieved in the order in which the detected packets were received.

18. The network node of claim 16, wherein each destination address is stored with a corresponding identifier and the identifier is returned with the result, and wherein the identifier is used to retrieve the stored address that is associated with the result.

19. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a simulation application which, when executed by a processor associated with a network node, causes the processor to perform the following operations:

determine whether a data packet received at the network node has a destination address within an assigned range of plural network addresses;

in response to a determination that the destination address of a detected packet is within the assigned range, process a command in said packet and return a result; and

transmit a response packet having said result with the destination address of the detected packet as the source address of said response packet.