# US 10,374,925 B2 · Method, apparatus, and system for measuring network delay

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- Number: US 10,374,925 B2
- Document ID: US10374925B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/669,513
- Filed: 2015-03-26
- Published: 2015-07-23
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2012-09-29
- Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Wei Fang; Hongming Liu; Wenjun Chang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10374925B2

## CPC

- H04L 43/0852: Delays
- H04L 7/0037: {Delay of clock signal}
- H04L 43/106: using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A method, an apparatus, and a system for measuring a network delay are disclosed. The method includes: acquiring delay measurement information obtained by measuring a service flow by at least one target logical port TLP, where the delay measurement information includes: timestamp information, a service flow identifier, and a TLP identifier; and transmitting the delay measurement information to a measurement control point MCP, so that the MCP determines details about a network delay according to the timestamp information, the service flow identifier, and the TLP identifier. Embodiments of the present application further provide an apparatus and a system for measuring a network delay. Embodiments of the present application achieve direct and accurate delay measurement of a service flow in scenarios of point to point transmission or point to multipoint transmission on the network, and reflect details about a real delay of the service flow.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for measuring a network delay of a network, comprising:
acquiring, by a data collecting point (DCP) managing an upstream target logical port (TLP), transmit-end delay measurement information obtained by measuring a service flow by the upstream TLP that is transmitted through the network, wherein the transmit-end delay measurement information comprises transmit-end timestamp information, a service flow identifier of the service flow, and a TLP identifier of the upstream TLP, and wherein the transmit-end delay measurement information is corresponding to a data packet including a delay measurement flag ;
acquiring, by a DCP managing a downstream TLP, receive-end delay measurement information obtained by measuring the service flow by the downstream TLP, wherein the receive-end delay measurement information comprises receive-end timestamp information, the service flow identifier of the service flow, and a TLP identifier of the downstream TLP, and wherein the receive-end delay measurement information is corresponding to the data packet including the delay measurement flag;
transmitting, by the DCP managing the upstream TLP, the transmit-end delay measurement information to a measurement control point (MCP); and
transmitting, by the DCP managing the downstream TLP, the receive-end delay measurement information to the MCP;
wherein, the transmit-end delay measurement information and the receive-end delay measurement information are used to determine a network delay of the network.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
when a measurement period for measuring the service flow ends, acquiring, by the DCP managing the upstream TLP, a measurement period identifier of the measurement period;
transmitting, by the DCP managing the upstream TLP, the measurement period identifier to the MCP; and
acquiring, by the DCP managing the downstream TLP, start time of the measurement period, wherein if a difference between the start time and the receive-end timestamp information is not more than a preset duration, the receive-end delay measurement information corresponds to the measurement period identifier, and if the difference between the start time and the receive-end timestamp information is greater than the preset duration, the measurement period identifier is increased by 1, the timestamp information corresponds to a next measurement period, and the measurement period identifier is transmitted to the MCP.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, wherein the preset duration is ⅔ of a duration of the measurement period.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, further comprising:
performing, by the DCP managing the upstream TLP, time synchronization with the upstream TLP by using at least one of the Network Time Protocol (NTP) and an IEEE 1588v2 clock; performing, by the DCP managing the downstream TLP, time synchronization with the downstream TLP by using at least one of the NTP and an IEEE 1588v2 clock; and performing, by the DCP managing the upstream TLP, time synchronization with the DCP managing the downstream TLP by using at least one of the NTP and an IEEE 1588v2 clock.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
acquiring, by the DCP managing the downstream TLP, a measurement packet transmitted by the upstream TLP and received by the downstream TLP, and arrival timestamp information of the measurement packet, which is generated when the measurement packet arrives at the downstream TLP, wherein the measurement packet comprises: transmit-end timestamp information; and
determining, by the DCP managing the downstream TLP, whether the arrival timestamp information and the receive-end timestamp information correspond to a preset duration range; and if the arrival timestamp information and the receive-end timestamp information correspond to the preset duration range, determining that the transmit-end timestamp information and the receive-end timestamp information correspond to a same data packet, and transmitting a result of the determining to the MCP.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmit-end delay measurement information further comprises: service flow characteristic information of the service flow and a transmit-end fragment reassembly identifier of a data packet of the service flow; and the receive-end delay measurement information further comprises: the service flow characteristic information of the service flow and the receive-end fragment reassembly identifier.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein, within each measurement period one data packet is added with the delay measurement flag.

### Claim 8

A method for measuring a network delay of a network, comprising:
determining, by an upstream target logical port (TLP), a service flow that is transmitted through the network is a target service flow according to service flow characteristic information of the service flow;
adding, by the upstream TLP, a delay measurement flag to a data packet of the service flow;
acquiring, by the upstream TLP, transmit-end delay measurement information of the data packet to which the delay measurement flag is added, wherein the transmit-end delay measurement information comprises transmit-end timestamp information, a service flow identifier of the service flow, and a TLP identifier of the upstream TLP; and
indentifying, by a downstream TLP, the data packet to which the delay measurement flag is added;
acquiring, by a downstream TLP, receive-end delay measurement information of the data packet, wherein the receive-end delay measurement information comprises receive-end timestamp information, a service flow identifier of the service flow, and a TLP identifier of the downstream TLP.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8,
before the adding the delay measurement flag to the data packet of the target service flow, the method further comprises: performing, by the upstream TLP, time synchronization with the DCP managing the upstream TLP by using at least one of the Network Time Protocol (NTP) and an IEEE 1588v2 clock; and before identifying the data packet to which the delay measurement flag is added, performing, by the downstream TLP, time synchronization with the DCP managing the downstream TLP by using at least one of the NTP and an IEEE 1588v2 clock;
the method further comprises:
acquiring, by the upstream TLP, a measurement period identifier corresponding to the delay measurement flag; and
acquiring, by the downstream TLP, start time of each measurement period within the measurement period, and when identifying, within each measurement period, the data packet to which the delay measurement flag is added, acquiring the measurement period identifier corresponding to the delay measurement flag.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, further comprising:
transmitting, by the upstream TLP, a measurement packet to the downstream TLP, wherein the measurement packet comprises: transmit-end timestamp information;
receiving, by the downstream TLP, the measurement packet, generating arrival timestamp information of the measurement packet, and transmitting the measurement packet and the arrival timestamp information to the DCP managing the downstream TLP.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, wherein the transmit-end delay measurement information further comprises: the service flow characteristic information and a transmit-end fragment reassembly identifier of the data packet; and the receive-end delay measurement information further comprises: the service flow characteristic information and the receive-end fragment reassembly identifier.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, wherein the adding, by an upstream TLP, a delay measurement flag to the data packet of the target service flow comprises:
adding the delay measurement flag in at least one of: a reserved bit of type of service TOS and a reserved bit of Flags in an IP header of the data packet.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, wherein the determining the service flow that is transmitted through the network is the target service flow comprises:
determining the service flow is the target service flow according to at least two tuples in a quintuple of the service flow.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, wherein, within each measurement period one data packet is added with the delay measurement flag by the upstream TLP.

### Claim 15

A method for measuring a network delay of a network, comprising:
receiving, by a measurement control point (MCP), transmit-end delay measurement information transmitted by a data collecting point (DCP) corresponding to an upstream target logical port (TLP) and receive-end delay measurement information transmitted by a DCP corresponding to a downstream TLP, wherein the transmit-end delay measurement information comprises: transmit-end timestamp information, a service flow identifier of a service flow which is transmitted through the network, and a TLP identifier of the upstream TLP; and the receive-end delay measurement information comprises: receive-end timestamp information, a service flow identifier of the service flow, and a TLP identifier of the downstream TLP, and wherein the transmit-end delay measurement information and the receive-end delay measurement information are corresponding to a data packet including a delay measurement flag; and
determining, by the MCP, network delay of the network according to the transmit-end delay measurement information and the receive-end delay measurement information.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method according to claim 15, further comprising:
receiving, by the MCP, a measurement period identifier transmitted by the DCP managing the upstream TLP;
receiving, by the MCP, a measurement period identifier transmitted by the DCP managing the downstream TLP;
determining, by the MCP according to the measurement period identifier transmitted by the DCP managing the upstream TLP and the measurement period identifier transmitted by the DCP managing the downstream TLP, whether the transmit-end delay measurement information and the receive-end delay measurement information correspond to a same measurement period; and
determining, by the MCP, the network delay according to the transmit-end delay measurement information and the receive-end delay measurement information, when the transmit-end delay measurement information and the receive-end delay measurement information correspond to a same measurement period.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method according to claim 15, the receiving, by the measurement control point (MCP), the transmit-end delay measurement information transmitted by a data collecting point (DCP) comprises:
receiving, by the MCP, the transmit-end delay measurement information transmitted by the DCP corresponding to the upstream TLP; and
receiving, by the MCP, the receive-end delay measurement information that is determined as corresponding to a same data packet as the transmit-end delay measurement information and is transmitted by the DCP corresponding to the downstream TLP.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method according to claim 15, wherein the transmit-end delay measurement information further comprises service flow characteristic information of the service flow, and a transmit-end fragment reassembly identifier of a data packet in the service flow, and
wherein the receive-end delay measurement information further comprises: the service flow characteristic information, and the receive-end fragment reassembly identifier; and
the method further comprises: determining, by the MCP, according to the service flow characteristic information and the fragment reassembly identifier from the DCP corresponding to the upstream TLP, the service flow characteristic information and the fragment reassembly identifier from the DCP corresponding to the downstream TLP, that the transmit-end timestamp information and the receive-end timestamp information are timestamp information corresponding to a same data packet.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method according to claim 15, wherein, within each measurement period one data packet is added with the delay measurement flag.

### Claim 20

A data collecting point (DCP), comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions; and
a processor in communication with the non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein
when the DCP is a DCP managing an upstream TLP, the processor executes the instructions to:
acquire transmit-end delay measurement information obtained by measuring a transmitted service flow by the upstream TLP that is transmitted through a network, wherein the transmit-end delay measurement information comprises transmit-end timestamp information, a service flow identifier of the transmitted service flow, and a TLP identifier of the upstream TLP, and wherein the transmit-end delay measurement information is corresponding to a data packet including a delay measurement flag; and
transmit the transmit-end delay measurement information to the MCP;
when the DCP is a DCP managing a downstream TLP, the processor executes the instructions to:
acquire receive-end delay measurement information obtained by measuring a received service flow by the downstream TLP that is transmitted through the network, wherein the receive-end delay measurement information comprises receive-end timestamp information, a service flow identifier of the received service flow, and a TLP identifier of the downstream TLP, and wherein the receive-end delay measurement information is corresponding to a data packet including a delay measurement flag; and
transmitting the receive-end delay measurement information to the MCP,
wherein, the transmit-end delay measurement information and the receive-end delay measurement information are used to determine a network delay of the network.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The DCP according to claim 20, wherein the processor further executes the instructions to: when the DCP is the DCP managing the upstream TLP, and when a first measurement period for measuring the transmitted service flow ends, acquire a first measurement period identifier of the first measurement period, and transmit the first measurement period identifier to the MCP;
when the DCP is the DCP managing the downstream TLP, when a second measurement period for measuring the received service flow starts, acquire start time of the second measurement period, wherein if a difference between the start time and the receive-end timestamp information is not more than a preset duration, the receive-end delay measurement information corresponds to a second measurement period identifier of the second measurement period, and if the difference between the start time and the receive-end timestamp information is greater than the preset duration, the second measurement period identifier is increased by 1, the receive-end timestamp information corresponds to a next measurement period, and the second measurement period identifier is acquired; and
transmit the second measurement period identifier to the MCP.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The DCP according to claim 21, wherein the preset duration is ⅔ of a duration of the second measurement period.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The DCP according to claim 21, wherein when the DCP is the DCP managing the upstream TLP, the processor further executes the instructions to: perform time synchronization with the upstream TLP by using at least one of the Network Time Protocol (NTP) and an IEEE 1588v2 clock, and perform time synchronization between the DCP and another DCP managing a corresponding downstream TLP by using at least one of the NTP and an IEEE 1588v2 clock, and
wherein when the DCP is the DCP managing the downstream TLP, the processor executes the instructions to: perform time synchronization with the downstream TLP by using at least one of the NTP and an IEEE 1588v2 clock, and perform time synchronization between the DCP and another DCP managing a corresponding upstream TLP by using at least one of the NTP and an IEEE 1588v2 clock.

### Claim 24 (depends on 20)

The DCP according to claim 20, wherein when the DCP is the DCP managing the downstream TLP, the processor further executes the instructions to: acquire a measurement packet transmitted by another upstream TLP and received by the downstream TLP, and arrival timestamp information of the measurement packet, which is generated when the measurement packet arrives at the downstream TLP, wherein the measurement packet comprises transmit-end timestamp information; determine whether the arrival timestamp information and the receive-end timestamp information correspond to a preset duration range; when the arrival timestamp information and the receive-end timestamp information correspond to the preset duration range, determine that the transmit-end timestamp information in the measurement packet and the receive-end timestamp information correspond to a same data packet; and transmit a result of the determining to the MCP.

### Claim 25 (depends on 20)

The DCP according to claim 20, wherein the transmit-end delay measurement information further comprises: transmit-end service flow characteristic information and a transmit-end fragment reassembly identifier, and-wherein the receive-end delay measurement information further comprises receive-end service flow characteristic information and a receive-end fragment reassembly identifier.

### Claim 26 (depends on 20)

The DCP according to claim 20, wherein, within each measurement period one data packet is added with the delay measurement flag.

### Claim 27

A target logical port (TLP), comprising:
a port;
a processor in communication with the port,
wherein when the TLP is an upstream TLP, the processor is configured to:
determine a first service flow transmitted through the port is a target service flow according to service flow characteristic information of the first service flow;
add a first delay measurement flag to a first data packet of the first service flow; and
acquire transmit-end delay measurement information of the first data packet to which the first delay measurement flag is added, wherein the transmit-end delay measurement information comprises transmit-end timestamp information, a service flow identifier of the first service flow, a TLP identifier of the TLP;
wherein when the TLP is a downstream TLP, the processor is configured to: identify a second data packet to which a second delay measurement flag is added, acquire receive-end delay measurement information of the second data packet, and wherein the receive-end delay measurement information comprises receive-end timestamp information, a service flow identifier of a service flow that is transmitted through the port and comprises the second data packet, and a TLP identifier of the TLP.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The TLP according to claim 27, wherein:
when the TLP is the upstream TLP, the processor is further configured to:
add the first delay measurement flag to the data packet of the target service flow, perform time synchronization with the DCP managing the upstream TLP by using at least one of the Network Time Protocol (NTP) and an IEEE 1588v2 clock; and
acquire a measurement period identifier corresponding to the first delay measurement flag, and
wherein when the TLP is the downstream TLP, the processor is further configured to:
identify the second data packet to which the second delay measurement flag is added, perform time synchronization with the DCP managing the downstream TLP by using at least one of the NTP and an IEEE 1588v2 clock; and
acquire a measurement period identifier corresponding to the second delay measurement flag and start time of each measurement period.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The TLP according to claim 27, wherein
when the TLP is the upstream TLP, the processor is further configured to: transmit a first measurement packet to another downstream TLP, wherein the first measurement packet comprises: transmit-end timestamp information, and
wherein when the TLP is the downstream TLP, the processor is further configured to: receive a second measurement packet from another upstream TLP;
generate arrival timestamp information of the second measurement packet; and
transmit the second measurement packet and the arrival timestamp information to the DCP managing the downstream TLP.

### Claim 30 (depends on 27)

The TLP according to claim 27, wherein the transmit-end delay measurement information further comprises transmit-end service flow characteristic information and a transmit-end fragment reassembly identifier, and wherein the receive-end delay measurement information further comprises receive-end service flow characteristic information and a receive-end fragment reassembly identifier.

### Claim 31 (depends on 27)

The TLP according to claim 27, wherein the determining the first service flow is the target service flow comprises: determining the first service flow is the target service flow according to at least two tuples in a quintuple of the first service flow.

### Claim 32 (depends on 27)

The TLP according to claim 27, wherein, within each measurement period one data packet is added with the delay measurement flag by the upstream TLP.

### Claim 33

A measurement control point (MCP), comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions; and
a processor in communication with the non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein
the processor executes the instructions to:
receive transmit-end delay measurement information transmitted by a data collecting point (DCP) corresponding to an upstream target logical port (TLP) and receive-end delay measurement information transmitted by a DCP corresponding to a downstream TLP, wherein the transmit-end delay measurement information comprises transmit-end timestamp information, a service flow identifier of a service flow that is transmitted through a network, and a TLP identifier of the upstream TLP, and wherein the receive-end delay measurement information comprises receive-end timestamp information, a service flow identifier of the service flow, and a TLP identifier of the downstream TLP, and wherein the transmit-end delay measurement information and the receive-end delay measurement information are corresponding to a data packet including a delay measurement flag; and
determine a network delay of the network according to the transmit-end delay measurement information and the receive-end delay measurement information.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The MCP according to claim 33, wherein the processor executes the instructions to:
receive a measurement period identifier transmitted by the DCP managing the upstream TLP, and a measurement period identifier transmitted by the DCP managing the downstream TLP;
determine, according to the measurement period identifier transmitted by the DCP managing the upstream TLP and the measurement period identifier transmitted by the DCP managing the downstream TLP, whether the transmit-end delay measurement information and the receive-end delay measurement information correspond to a same measurement period; and
determine the network delay according to the transmit-end delay measurement information and the receive-end delay measurement information, when the transmit-end delay measurement information and the receive-end delay measurement information correspond to a same measurement period.

### Claim 35 (depends on 33)

The MCP according to claim 33, wherein the receiving the transmit-end delay measurement information transmitted by the data collecting point (DCP) comprises: receiving the transmit-end delay measurement information transmitted by the DCP corresponding to the upstream TLP, and the receive-end delay measurement information that is determined as corresponding to a same data packet as the transmit-end delay measurement information and is transmitted by the DCP corresponding to the downstream TLP.

### Claim 36 (depends on 33)

The MCP according to claim 33, wherein the transmit-end delay measurement information further comprises transmit-end service flow characteristic information and a transmit-end fragment reassembly identifier, wherein the receive-end delay measurement information further comprises receive-end service flow characteristic information and a receive-end fragment reassembly identifier, and
wherein the processor executes the instructions to:
determine, according to the transmit-end service flow characteristic information, the transmit-end fragment reassembly identifier, the receive-end service flow characteristic information, and the receive-end fragment reassembly identifier, whether the transmit-end timestamp information and the receive-end timestamp information are timestamp information corresponding to a same service flow; and
determine the a network delay according to the transmit-end delay measurement information and the receive-end delay measurement information, when the transmit-end delay measurement information and the receive-end delay measurement information are timestamp information corresponding to a same service flow.

### Claim 37 (depends on 33)

The TLP according to claim 33, wherein, within each measurement period one data packet is added with the delay measurement flag.