Analyzing network data for debugging, performance, and identifying protocol violations using parallel multi-threaded processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11665262-B2
Application number	US-202016949397-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2020
Priority date	Oct 28, 2020
Publication date	May 30, 2023
Grant date	May 30, 2023

Abstract

A device may receive network protocol data identifying a network protocol trace associated with network devices of a network, and may divide the network protocol trace into multiple segments. The device may identify a set of segments, in the multiple segments, that includes a first segment and second segments related to the first segment, and may process the multiple segments, in parallel, to determine first results data corresponding to the multiple segments. The device may process the second segments, in parallel, to determine second results data, and may combine the first results data and the second results data to generate final results data, wherein the final results data indicate utilization by the network devices of a network protocol associated with the network. The device may perform one or more actions based on the final results data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a device, network protocol data identifying a network protocol trace associated with network devices of a network,
wherein the network protocol trace includes an exchange having multiple types of events;

dividing, by the device and based on a quantity of data in the network protocol trace, the network protocol trace into multiple segments,
wherein dividing the network protocol trace into the multiple segments comprises:
determining a number of units of data associated with the network protocol trace,
dividing the network protocol trace based on determining the number of units of data and a particular number of processors of the device,

wherein the exchange is split across the multiple segments such that:
a first type of event, of the multiple types of events, is in a first segment of the multiple segments, and a second type of event, of the multiple types of events, is in a second segment of the multiple segments, and
a first quantity of data in the first segment is equal to a second quantity of data in the second segment, and

wherein the first segment and the second segment form at least part of a subset of the multiple segments;

processing, by the device, the multiple segments to determine final results data for the network protocol trace, wherein the final results data indicates utilization by the network devices of a network protocol associated with the network, and
wherein processing the multiple segments comprises:
processing, by the device and in a first pass, the multiple segments, in parallel, to determine first results data corresponding to the multiple segments,
processing, by the device and in a second pass, the subset of the multiple segments, in parallel, to determine second results data corresponding to the subset of the multiple segments, and
combining, by the device, the first results data and the second results data to generate the final results data for the network protocol trace;

updating, by the device, the final results data based on creating an offset table to determine an accurate quantity of pending exchanges; and
identifying, by the device and based on the final results data, a particular network device, of the network devices, that is improperly utilizing the network protocol.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising one or more of:
debugging the particular network device; or
monitoring a performance of the particular network device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising one or more of:
ordering a replacement network device for the particular network device; or
reprogramming the particular network device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first type of event includes a command associated with the exchange, and
wherein the second type of event includes data associated with the exchange.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first type of event includes a command associated with the exchange, and
wherein the second type of event includes a completion associated with the exchange.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first type of event includes data associated with the exchange, and
wherein the second type of event includes a completion associated with the exchange.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first segment is associated with a different quantity of time periods than the second segment.

8. A device, comprising:
one or more processors configured to:
receive network protocol data identifying a network protocol trace associated with network devices of a network,
wherein the network protocol trace includes an exchange having multiple types of events;

divide the network protocol trace into multiple segments based on a quantity of data in the network protocol trace,
wherein the one or more processors, to divide the network protocol trace into the multiple segments, are configured to:
determine a number of units of data associated with the network protocol trace,
divide the network protocol trace based on determining the number of units of data and a particular number of processors of the device,

wherein the exchange is split across the multiple segments such that:
a first type of event, of the multiple types of events, is in a first segment of the multiple segments, and a second type of event, of the multiple types of events, is in a second segment of the multiple segments, and
a first quantity of data in the first segment is equal to a second quantity of data in the second segment, and

wherein the first segment and the second segment form at least part of a subset of the multiple segments;

process the multiple segments to determine final results data for the network protocol trace,
wherein the final results data indicate utilization by the network devices of a network protocol associated with the network, and
wherein the one or more processors, when processing the multiple segments, are configured to:
process, in a first pass, the multiple segments, in parallel, to determine first results data corresponding to the multiple segments,
process, in a second pass, the subset of the multiple segments, in parallel, to determine second results data corresponding to the subset of the multiple segments, and
combine the first results data and the second results data to generate the final results data for the network protocol trace;

update the final results data based on creating an offset table to determine an accurate quantity of pending exchanges; and
identify, based on the final results data, a particular network device, of the network devices, that is improperly utilizing the network protocol.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the network protocol trace includes one of:
one or more packets,
one or more frames, or
one or more commands.

10. The device of claim 8 , wherein the final results data includes data identifying performance characteristics of the network devices.

11. The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
debug the particular network device.

12. The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
reprogram the particular network device.

13. The device of claim 8 , wherein the first type of event includes a command associated with the exchange, and
wherein the second type of event includes data associated with the exchange or a completion associated with the exchange.

14. The device of claim 8 , wherein the first type of event includes a command associated with the exchange or data associated with the exchange, and
wherein the second type of event includes a completion associated with the exchange.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising:
one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device, cause the device to:
receive network protocol data identifying a network protocol trace associated with network devices of a network,
wherein the network protocol trace includes an exchange having multiple types of events;

divide, based on a quantity of data in the network protocol trace, the network protocol trace into multiple segments,
wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to divide the network protocol trace into the multiple segments, cause the one or more processors to:
determine a number of units of data associated with the network protocol trace,
divide the network protocol trace based on determining the number of units of data and a particular number of processors of the device,

wherein the

Assignees

• Viavi Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Mann Jason
• Shastry Yamini
• Bullis George

Classifications

• H04L69/02 Primary

  Protocol performance · CPC title

• H04L69/03 Primary

  Protocol definition or specification  (protocol conformance testing H04L1/244) · CPC title

• H04L69/00

  Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass (networks security protocols H04L9/40; wireless communication networks H04W) · CPC title

• G06F11/34

  Recording or statistical evaluation of computer activity, e.g. of down time, of input/output operation {; Recording or statistical evaluation of user activity, e.g. usability assessment} · CPC title

• H04L43/08

  Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters · CPC title