Generating metrics for networked devices

• US 8,331,257 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2010
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hirschman, Norman Ari, Wall, Eric M., Pierce, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Brian D
• Application Number:
  US12/792,111
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/253, 370/254, 709/223
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level

Abstract

Groups of network devices may be identified automatically based on interface tags associated with network device interfaces such that network devices within a group are automatically identified, periodically or otherwise, based on an association of one or more common interface tags between the group and the network device interface.

Claims

1. A method for generating network traffic metrics for a group of network devices, comprising:

causing association of tags with interfaces representing network devices that belong to multiple, different groups of network devices, each tag identifying at least one of the multiple, different groups of network devices;

identifying a particular tag that corresponds to and enables monitoring of a particular group of network devices included in the multiple, different groups of network devices;

identifying, from among the interfaces associated with the tags, a subset of the interfaces that were associated with the particular tag that corresponds to and enables monitoring of the particular group of network devices;

accessing the network traffic metrics measured for each interface included in the identified subset of the interfaces that were associated with the particular tag;

aggregating the network traffic metrics to determine collective network traffic metrics for the particular group of network devices; and

storing data representing the collective network traffic metrics determined for the particular group of network devices based on the aggregation of the network traffic metrics.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the network traffic metrics measured for each interface included in the identified subset of the interfaces that were associated with the particular tag comprises accessing usage data describing usage of an external resource measured for each interface included in the identified subset of the interfaces that were associated with the particular tag.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the network traffic metrics measured for each interface included in the identified subset of the interfaces that were associated with the particular tag comprises gathering statistics for communication with an entity for each interface included in the identified subset of the interfaces that were associated with the particular tag.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein causing association of the tags with the interfaces representing the network devices that belong to the multiple, different groups of network devices comprises causing association of the tags with network communication ports that represent a lowest level of network connectivity for the network devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein causing association of the tags with the interfaces representing the network devices that belong to the multiple, different groups of network devices comprises storing a tag in a network device interface field designed for other purposes and including a tag identifier in the network device interface field to distinguish the tag from other data in the network device interface field.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein causing association of the tags with the interfaces representing the network devices that belong to the multiple, different groups of network devices comprises causing association of multiple, different tags with a single interface representing a network device and apportioning network traffic through the single interface among the multiple, different tags associated with the single interface.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein apportioning the network traffic through the single interface among the multiple, different tags associated with the single interface comprises using multipliers corresponding to the multiple, different tags to apportion the network traffic through the single interface among the multiple, different tags associated with the single interface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein causing association of the tags with the interfaces representing the network devices that belong to the multiple, different groups of network devices comprises reformatting a tag associated with an interface of a network device prior to storage of the tag.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying, from among the interfaces associated with the tags, the subset of the interfaces that were associated with the particular tag that corresponds to and enables monitoring of the particular group of network devices comprises reformatting the particular tag in a query used to identify the subset of the interfaces that were associated with the particular tag that corresponds to and enables monitoring of the particular group of network devices.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein causing association of the tags with the interfaces representing the network devices that belong to the multiple, different groups of network devices comprises maintaining a history file that tracks timing data describing addition of the tags to the interfaces and removal of the tags from the interfaces.

11. A system including at least one processor configured to perform operation comprising:

causing association of tags with interfaces representing network devices that belong to multiple, different groups of network devices, each tag identifying at least one of the multiple, different groups of network devices;

identifying a particular tag that corresponds to and enables monitoring of a particular group of network devices included in the multiple, different groups of network devices;

identifying, from among the interfaces associated with the tags, a subset of the interfaces that were associated with the particular tag that corresponds to and enables monitoring of the particular group of network devices;

accessing network traffic metrics measured for each interface included in the identified subset of the interfaces that were associated with the particular tag;

aggregating the network traffic metrics to determine collective network traffic metrics for the particular group of network devices; and

storing data representing the collective network traffic metrics determined for the particular group of network devices based on the aggregation of the network traffic metrics.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein accessing the network traffic metrics measured for each interface included in the identified subset of the interfaces that were associated with the particular tag comprises accessing usage data describing usage of an external resource measured for each interface included in the identified subset of the interfaces that were associated with the particular tag.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein accessing the network traffic metrics measured for each interface included in the identified subset of the interfaces that were associated with the particular tag comprises gathering statistics for communication with an entity for each interface included in the identified subset of the interfaces that were associated with the particular tag.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein causing association of the tags with the interfaces representing the network devices that belong to the multiple, different groups of network devices comprises causing association of the tags with network communication ports that represent a lowest level of network connectivity for the network devices.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein causing association of the tags with the interfaces representing the network devices that belong to the multiple, different groups of network devices comprises storing a tag in a network device interface field designed for other purposes and including a tag identifier in the network device interface field to distinguish the tag from other data in the network device interface field.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein causing association of the tags with the interfaces representing the network devices that belong to the multiple, different groups of network devices comprises causing association of multiple, different tags with a single interface representing a network device and apportioning network traffic through the single interface among the multiple, different tags associated with the single interface.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein apportioning the network traffic through the single interface among the multiple, different tags associated with the single interface comprises using multipliers corresponding to the multiple, different tags to apportion the network traffic through the single interface among the multiple, different tags associated with the single interface.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein causing association of the tags with the interfaces representing the network devices that belong to the multiple, different groups of network devices comprises reformatting a tag associated with an interface of a network device prior to storage of the tag.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein identifying, from among the interfaces associated with the tags, the subset of the interfaces that were associated with the particular tag that corresponds to and enables monitoring of the particular group of network devices comprises reformatting the particular tag in a query used to identify the subset of the interfaces that were associated with the particular tag that corresponds to and enables monitoring of the particular group of network devices.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein causing association of the tags with the interfaces representing the network devices that belong to the multiple, different groups of network devices comprises maintaining a history file that tracks timing data describing addition of the tags to the interfaces and removal of the tags from the interfaces.