US 2008/0304423 A1 · Network traffic monitoring in a server network environment

Abstract

Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with monitoring a server port in a server network environment are described. In one embodiment, a graphical user interface (GUI) allows server port(s) to be selected for monitoring. The GUI also allows for an uplink port to be selected, where the uplink port is a port that may be connected to a network analyzer. In response to the selections, a virtual local area network (VLAN) is created to establish communication between the selected server port(s) and the selected uplink port. Network traffic that passes through the selected server port(s) can then be duplicated and transmitted through the VLAN to the selected uplink port to be monitored and analyzed by a network analyzer connected to the uplink port.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for monitoring network traffic of a server port in a group of network modules with a plurality of server ports, the system comprising:

an user interface configured to:
obtain and display a list of the plurality of server ports;
allow a user to select one or more server ports from the list of the plurality of server ports to monitor network traffic through the selected server port(s);
obtain and display a list of uplink ports;
and
allow a user to select an uplink port, where the uplink port allows communication with a network analyzer;
a network logic configured to establish a dedicated virtual local area network (VLAN) within the network that connects the selected server port and the selected uplink port;
and
a monitoring logic configured to duplicate the network traffic from the selected server port and to add a VLAN tag to the duplicated network traffic, where the VLAN tag identifies the duplicated network traffic as belonging to the dedicated VLAN, and the monitoring logic further configured to transfer the duplicated network traffic via the dedicated VLAN to the selected uplink port to cause the network traffic to be analyzed by a network analyzer connected to the selected uplink port.

6 more elements

A computer-readable medium storing processor executable instructions that when executed cause a computing device to perform a method for monitoring a server port within a blade server environment (BSE), where the BSE includes a group of interconnected network modules that include a plurality of server ports for connection to server modules and uplink ports, the method comprising:

displaying a list of the plurality of server ports and a list of the uplink ports;
allowing for selection of a server port from the list of the plurality of server ports to monitor network traffic through the selected server port;
allowing for selection of an uplink port to be used as a monitoring location;
creating, in response to a selected server port and uplink port, a dedicated virtual local area network (VLAN) in the BSE comprising:
establishing and configuring connections between the network modules in the BSE to allow for passing of network traffic, where the dedicated VLAN connections allow network traffic to be passed between the selected server port and the uplink port;
and
blocking connections within the dedicated VLAN to prevent loop states;
duplicating network traffic that passes through the selected server port;
and
transmitting the duplicated network traffic via the dedicated VLAN to the selected uplink port for analysis.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Network traffic monitoring in a server network environment

Life of this patent

Network traffic monitoring in a server network environment

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20