Methods and systems for testing throughput of a packet-based communications node
OwnerKevin Allen Sappinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and systems for testing throughput of a packet-based communications node include a packet generator, a communication protocol stack, and a packet replicator. The packet generator generates packets of user data to be sent to a device under test. The packets are passed through layers of the communications protocol stack. The packet replicator resides within at least one of the layers and copies predetermined packets in accordance with a user specified key value. The packet replicator replicates the packets to a device under test, such as a GPRS node, and bypasses at least some of the layers of the communications protocol stack.
Claims28
A system for testing a packet-based communications node, the system comprising:
- (a) a packet generator for generating user data to be sent over a connection to a packet-based communications node under test;
- (b) a communication protocol stack having layers for communicating with packet-based communications nodes over a network and adding header information to user data generated by the packet generator to form packets;
- and
- (c) a packet replicator associated with the communication protocol stack and the packet generator for receiving packets generated by the communication protocol stack and replicating predetermined packets to the packet-based communications node under test, wherein replicating the packets includes bypassing at least one layer of the communication protocol stack.
A method for testing throughput of a packet-based communications node, the method comprising:
- (a) generating a packet for testing a packet-based communications node;
- (b) passing the packet through layers of a protocol stack and adding a header to the packet for each layer;
- (c) at a predetermined layer of the protocol stack, storing a copy of the packet including information added by layers above the predetermined layer;
- and
- (d) replicating, from the predetermined layer, copies of the packet to the packet-based communications node under test.
A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium for performing steps comprising:
- (a) generating user data packets for testing a packet-based communications node;
- (b) passing the user data packets downward through a communication protocol stack;
- (c) at a predetermined layer in the communications protocol stack, searching the packets for a predetermined key value;
- and
- (d) in response to detecting a packet having the key value, storing the packet and replicating the packet to the packet-based communications node under test.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.