Method and apparatus for measuring packet loss rate via deep packet inspection at an intermediate node in a communication network

A method of measuring downlink packet loss rates over an interval of a packet-based communication session between a network source (NS) and a wireless User Equipment (UE) device, the downlink packet loss rates measured at an intermediate node of a communication network, the intermediate node connected between the NS and UE, the downlink packet loss rate indicative of a loss in the communication network between the intermediate node and the UE, each packet including a byte sequence number and having a payload length, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a series of packets from the NS at the intermediate node during the interval in the communication session, and communicating said series of packets through the intermediate node to the UE;
• providing a hashmap that includes fields fora byte sequence number and a num_times_seen counter for storing a number of times that a byte sequence number has been seen;
• for each packet received at the intermediate node, and repeating (a)-(e) until a last packet in the interval:
• (a) determining the byte sequence number;
• (b) incrementing a total downlink packet counter;
• (c) determining the payload length;
• (d) adding the payload length to a downlink bytes counter;
• and
• (e) incrementing the num_times_seen counter for the byte sequence number in the hashmap;
• determining a retransmission count for each byte sequence number responsive to the num_times_seen counter for each byte sequence number;
• providing a retransmission count for the interval by totaling the retransmission count over all packets in the interval;
• and
• determining a downlink packet loss rate by dividing the retransmission count for the interval by the total downlink packet counter.

A method of measuring uplink packet loss rates over an interval of a packet-based communication session between a wireless User Equipment (UE) and a Network Source (NS), the packet loss rates measured at an intermediate node of a communication network, the intermediate node connected between the UE and the NS, the uplink packet loss rate indicative of a loss in the communication network between the intermediate node and the UE, each packet including a byte sequence number and having a payload length, comprising the steps of:

• receiving a series of packets from the UE at the intermediate node during the interval in the communication session, and communicating said packets through the intermediate node to the NS;
• for each packet received at the intermediate node, and repeating (a)-(h) until a last packet in the interval:
• (a) determining and storing the byte sequence number;
• (b) incrementing a total uplink packet counter;
• (c) determining the payload length;
• and
• (d) adding the payload length to a total uplink bytes counter;
• (e) if the byte sequence number of a current packet is greater than a byte number of a previously-received packet, then determining that the packet with the greater byte sequence number is not a retransmission and ending processing for that packet,
• (f) if the byte sequence number of a current packet is less than or equal to a byte number of a previously-received packet, then determining whether a current packet is a delayed packet or a retransmission,
• (g) if a packet is determined to be the result of delay then ending processing for the packet;
• (h) if a packet is determined to be a retransmission, then incrementing a missing packet counter and adding the payload length to a missing byte counter and ending processing for that packet;
• determining an uplink packet loss rate by dividing the missing packet counter for the interval by the total uplink packet counter;
• and
• determining an uplink byte loss rate by dividing the missing byte counter for the interval by the total uplink bytes counter.