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US 10,097,455 B2Granted
Ascertaining per-hop network characteristics
AssigneeComcast Cable Communications, LLC
InventorChia J. Liu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tool that may be used for querying and obtaining per-hop information along a network path, and/or for verifying the host name of each hop against a data repository such as the DNS. The query and response may be transmitted in, e.g., the destination options header of data packets, such as an IPv6 destination options header.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- receiving, by a network node, a first data packet comprising an options header indicating a first option type;
- performing, based on the value of the first option type, a query for link utilization information related to a utilization of a link by the network node;
- determining that the network node is a deepest node;
- and
- sending a second data packet comprising an indication that the network node is the deepest node and the link utilization information.
2 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- one or more processors;
- and
- memory storing processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
- receive a first data packet comprising an options header indicating a first option type;
- perform, based on the value of the first option type, a query for link utilization information related to a utilization of a link by the apparatus;
- determine that the apparatus is a deepest node;
- and
- send a second data packet comprising an indication that the apparatus is the deepest node and the link utilization information.
5 more elements
A method, comprising:
- receiving a first plurality of data packets, each data packet of the first plurality of data packets identifying a different network address for a plurality of network nodes of a network;
- sending, via one or more paths through the network, a second plurality of data packets, each data packet of the second plurality of data packets comprising a first options header indicating a same first option type, each data packet of the second plurality of data packets being addressed to a different one of the network addresses identified by the first plurality of data packets, wherein one or more of the same first option types identifies one or more parameters queried for a plurality of parameters, and wherein at least one parameter of the plurality of parameters is a link utilization;
- and
- receiving a third plurality of data packets, each data packet of the third plurality of data packets comprising a second options header indicating the first option type and indicating first option content associated with one of the network addresses, and wherein one or more data packets of the third plurality of data packets comprises a first indication of a deepest network node for each path of the one or more paths.
1 more element
An apparatus, comprising:
- one or more processors;
- and
- memory storing processor executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
- receive a first plurality of data packets each data packet of the first plurality of data packets identifying a different network address for a plurality of network nodes of a network;
- send, via one or more paths through the network, a second plurality of data packets each data packet of the second plurality of data packets comprising a first options header indicating a same first option type, each data packet of the second plurality of data packets being addressed to a different one of the network addresses identified by the first plurality of data packets, wherein one or more of the same first option types identifies one or more parameters queried for a plurality of parameters, and wherein at least one parameter of the plurality of parameters is a link utilization;
- and
- receive a third plurality of data packets, each data packet of the third plurality of data packets comprising a second options header indicating the first option type and indicating first option content associated with one of the network addresses, and wherein one or more of the third plurality of data packets comprises a first indication of a deepest network node for each path of the one or more paths.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.