On-demand probing for quality of experience metrics

A network device comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• one or more processors in communication with the memory, the one or more processors configured to:
• assign a data flow to a first queue of a plurality of queues associated with a first network link;
• initiate probing of the first network link via the first queue in response to the assigning to determine one or more Quality of Experience (QoE) metrics for the first queue of the first network link;
• determine an application signature of an application data packet of the data flow;
• determine, based on the application signature and the probing, that the QoE metrics do not satisfy an SLA metric for the application matching the application signature;
• re-assign, based on the determination that the QoE metrics do not satisfy the SLA metric, the data flow from the first queue to a different, second queue for sending subsequent data packets of the data flow from the second queue onto a second network link;
• send, based on the re-assignment, one or more probe packets over the second network link via the second queue to determine one or more QoE metrics for the second network link as measured via the second queue, the one or more probe packets configured according to a probe packet configuration;
• and
• refrain, based on the re-assigning, from sending additional probe packets that are configured according to the probe packet configuration over the first network link via the first queue.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that when executed cause one or more processors of a network device to:

• assign a data flow a first queue of a plurality of queues associated with a first network link;
• initiate probing of the first network link via the first queue in response to the assigning to determine one or more Quality of Experience (QoE) metrics for the first queue of the first network link;
• determine an application signature of an application data packet of the data flow;
• determine, based on the application signature and the probing, that the QoE metrics do not satisfy an SLA metric for the application matching the application signature;
• re-assign, based on the determination that the QoE metrics do not satisfy the SLA metric, the data flow from the first queue to a different, second queue for sending subsequent data packets of the data flow from the second queue onto a second network link;
• send, based on the re-assignment, one or more probe packets over the second network link via the second queue to determine one or more QoE metrics for the second network link as measured via the second queue, the one or more probe packets configured according to a probe packet configuration;
• and
• refrain, based on the reassigning, from sending additional probe packets that are configured according to the probe packet configuration over the first network link via the first queue.