Efficiently utilizing probe packets within a network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9755926-B2
Application number	US-201414496274-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2014
Priority date	Jun 13, 2014
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

According to one aspect, a method includes monitoring traffic between a first network element and a second network element, and determining when no packets have been sent from the first network element towards the second network element within a predetermined amount of time. When it is determined that no packets have been sent from the first network element towards the second network element within the predetermined amount of time, the method includes sending at least one smart probe packet from the first network element to the second network element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
monitoring traffic between a first network element and a second network element, the first network element and the second network element being on a network;
determining when no packets have been sent from the first network element towards the second network element within a predetermined amount of time; and
when it is determined that no packets have been sent from the first network element towards the second network element within the predetermined amount of time, sending at least a first smart probe packet from the first network element to the second network element at a first time, the first smart probe packet including the first time and information associated with when a last packet was obtained from the second network element.

2. The method of claim 1 further including:
obtaining at least a second smart probe packet on the first network element, the second smart probe packet being obtained from the second network element, wherein the second smart probe packet includes a second time and an indication of a third time, the second time being a time at which the second smart probe packet was sent, the indication of the third time being arranged to indicate when the first smart probe packet arrived on the second network element.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the second smart probe packet further includes the first time.

4. The method of claim 2 further including:
computing at least one metric associated with the network, wherein computing the at least one metric includes using at least the second time and the third time to compute the at least one metric.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the at least one metric is at least one selected from a group including a round-trip time for communications between the first network element and the second network element, and a one-way delay time associated with the communications between the first network element and the second element.

6. A method comprising:
monitoring traffic between a first network element and a second network element, the first network element and the second network element being on a network;
determining when no packets have been sent from the first network element towards the second network element within a predetermined amount of time;
when it is determined that no packets have been sent from the first network element towards the second network element within the predetermined amount of time, sending at least a first smart probe packet from the first network element to the second network element at a first time; and
sending at least a second smart probe packet from the first network element towards the second network element after sending the first smart probe packet, wherein the first smart probe packet is a first on-demand probe packet and the second smart probe packet is at least a second on-demand probe packet, and wherein sending the first smart probe packet from the first network element to the second network element includes determining a burst size and an inter-packet gap length, wherein the second smart probe packet is sent at the inter-packet gap length after the first smart probe packet, and wherein the first smart probe packet and the second smart probe packet are included in a burst of on-demand probe packets of the burst size.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first smart probe packet is a periodic smart probe packet, the method further including:
determining a time period, the time period being measured as a number of seconds; and
sending a second periodic smart probe packet at a second time, the second time being after the first time by the number of seconds.

8. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program code, the computer program code, when executed, configured to:
monitor traffic between a first network element and a second network element, the first network element and the second network element being on a network;
determine when no packets have been sent from the first network element towards the second network element within a predetermined amount of time; and
when it is determined that no packets have been sent from the first network element towards the second network element within the predetermined amount of time, send at least a first smart probe packet from the first network element to the second network element at a first time, the first smart probe packet including the first time and information associated with when a last packet was obtained from the second network element.

9. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program code of claim 8 wherein the computer program code is further configured to:
obtain at least a second smart probe packet on the first network element, the second smart probe packet being obtained from the second network element, wherein the second smart probe packet includes a second time and an indication of a third time, the second time being a time at which the second smart probe packet was sent, the indication of the third time being arranged to indicate when the first smart probe packet arrived on the second network element.

10. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program code of claim 9 wherein the second smart probe packet further includes the first time.

11. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program code of claim 9 wherein the computer program code is further configured to:
compute at least one metric associated with the network, wherein to computer program code configured to compute the at least one metric includes computer program code configured to use at least the second time and the third time to compute the at least one metric.

12. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program code of claim 11 wherein the at least one metric is at least one selected from a group including a round-trip time for communications between the first network element and the second network element, and a one-way delay time associated with the communications between the first network element and the second element.

13. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program code, the computer program code, when executed, configured to:
monitor traffic between a first network element and a second network element, the first network element and the second network element being on a network;
determine when no packets have been sent from the first network element towards the second network element within a predetermined amount of time;
when it is determined that no packets have been sent from the first network element towards the second network element within the predetermined amount of time, send at least a first smart probe packet from the first network element to the second network element at a first time; and
send at least a second smart probe packet from the first network element towards the second network element after sending the first smart probe packet, wherein the first smart probe packet is a first on-demand probe packet and the second smart probe packet is at least a second on-demand probe packet, and wherein the computer program code configured to send the first smart probe packet from the first network element to the second network element is configured to determine a burst size and an inter-packet gap length, wherein the second smart probe packet is sent at the inter-packet gap length after the first smart probe packet, and wherein the first smart probe packet and the second smart probe packet are included in a burst of on-demand probe packets of the burst size.

Assignees

• Pasuparthy Suraj
• Patel Rahul
• Sreenath Sanjay
• Cisco Tech Inc

Inventors

• Pasuparthy Suraj
• Patel Rahul
• Sreenath Sanjay

Classifications

• H04L43/08 Primary

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

• H04L43/0858

  One way delays · CPC title

• H04L43/10

  Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route · CPC title