Method and system for detecting a communication problem in a computer network

• US 8,001,605 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2008
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Simon, Daniel R., Padmanabhan, Venkata N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis; Zachary A
• Application Number:
  US12/193,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20080320152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 726/22, 726/23, 726/25, 726/34, 713187-189, 709/224, 709227-230, 709/238, 709/239
• US Class Current: 726/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32

Abstract

A computer in a network runs a verification procedure in which it sends data packets to another computer in the network. Some or all of the data packets contain, either individually or collectively, a secret piece of information, such as a secret code. The computer then makes a determination regarding the network links between it and the other computer. If, for example, the other computer is able to respond by providing the secret piece of information back, then the computer sending the data packets concludes that the devices along the network links en route to the other computer are properly forwarding data packets.

Claims

1. A method for verifying a network link, the method comprising:

receiving, at a receiving computer, a plurality of data packets from a sending computer over the network link, the network link including an intermediate computer, the plurality of data packets being forwarded by the intermediate computer to the receiving computer;

receiving, by the receiving computer during a secure communication session with the sending computer, an algorithm for reconstructing a secret piece of information from parts of the secret piece of information distributed among the plurality of data packets;

reconstructing, by the receiving computer, the secret piece of information using the parts of the secret information distributed among the plurality of received data packets and using the algorithm received from the sending computer; and

transmitting, by the receiving computer, the reconstructed secret piece of information back to the sending computer, thereby verifying to the sending computer that the intermediate computer is properly forwarding data packets to the receiving computer.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein reconstructing comprises extracting parts of a secret number from the plurality of data packets and reconstructing the secret number;

and

wherein transmitting comprises transmitting the secret number.

3. A computer-readable storage device having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

4. A method for verifying a network link, comprising:

sending a plurality of data packets from a sending computer over the network link, the network link including an intermediate computer, the plurality of data packets being forwarded by the intermediate computer to a receiving computer, a secret piece of information being distributed among the plurality of data packets;

sending, by the sending computer during a secure communication session with the receiving computer, an algorithm for reconstructing the secret piece of information from parts of the secret piece of information distributed among the plurality of data packets; and

the sending computer receiving from the receiving computer the secret piece of information, reconstructed by the receiving computer using the parts of the secret piece of information distributed among the plurality of data packets and using the algorithm received from the sending computer, thereby verifying to the sending computer that the intermediate computer is properly forwarding data packets to the receiving computer.

5. A computer-readable storage device having stored thereon computer executable instructions for performing the method of claim 4.

6. A method for verifying a network link, comprising:

transmitting a plurality of data packets containing a secret piece of information from a sending computer over the network link to a receiving computer, the network link including an intermediate computer, the plurality of data packets being forwarded by the intermediate computer to the receiving computer;

transmitting from the sending computer to the receiving computer, in a secure communication session, an algorithm for reconstructing the secret piece of information from parts of the secret piece of information distributed among the plurality of data packets;

the receiving computer reconstructing the secret piece of information using the parts of the secret information distributed among the plurality of data packets, and using the algorithm received from the sending computer;

the receiving computer transmitting the reconstructed secret piece of information back to the sending computer; and

the sending computer verifying that the intermediate computer is properly forwarding data packets to the receiving computer based on the secret piece of information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein reconstructing comprises extracting parts of a secret number from the plurality of data packets and reconstructing the secret number, and wherein transmitting the reconstructed secret piece of information comprises transmitting the secret number.

8. A computer-readable storage device having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 6.