US 2003/0223367 A1 · Methods for identifying network traffic flows

Abstract

The present invention provides methods for identifying and tracking data packets across a network. Specifically, network monitoring devices are configured to identify particular data packets or traffic flows at different points in a network by conversation fingerprinting. Conversation fingerprinting involves creating a unique identifier based on an invariant portion of one or more data packets in a traffic flow. An equivalency test is then performed between two identifiers from different monitoring devices to determine if the same data packet is received at two or more network monitoring devices. In order to reduce the probability of mismatches, additional heuristics may be applied based on additional attributes of the data packet or conversation. If a match occurs, then the timestamps of the two identifiers are compared to determine the point-to-point network transit latency between the two network monitoring devices.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A method for system for identifying network traffic flows in order to provide end-to-end quality of service measurements in a distributed network environment, the method comprising:

receiving a first observed data packet and applying a first timestamp thereto;
identifying an invariant portion of the first observed data packet;
applying a hash function to the invariant portion of the first observed data packet to produce a first hash key;
comparing the first hash key to a second hash key produced by applying the hash function to another observed data packet;
and
if the first hash key matches the second hash key, comparing the first timestamp of the first observed data packet with a second time stamp of the second observed data packet in order to calculate network latency.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods for identifying network traffic flows

Life of this patent

Methods for identifying network traffic flows

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10