Application service level mediation and method of using the same

A method comprising:

• monitoring, at a network device located at a demarcation point in a network, performance of a network application relative to a first network latency condition between a first transmission control protocol (TCP) host on a first side and the demarcation point and a second network latency condition between a second TCP host on a second side and the demarcation point;
• wherein the first network latency condition is determined by recording the arrival time, at the demarcation point, of packets transmitted by the second TCP host to the first TCP post;
• recording the arrival time, at the demarcation point, of respective acknowledgement packets corresponding to the packets transmitted by the second TCP host;
• and computing the difference between the arrival times of the packets and corresponding acknowledgement packets;
• wherein the second network latency condition is determined by recording the arrival time, at the demarcation point, of packets transmitted by the first TCP host to the second TCP post;
• recording the arrival time, at the demarcation point, of respective acknowledgement packets corresponding to the packets transmitted by the first TCP host;
• computing the difference between the arrival times of the packets and corresponding acknowledgement packets;
• wherein the first latency condition is associated with an entire span between the first TCP host and the demarcation point, the entire span comprising a plurality of segments;
• and
• wherein the second latency condition is associated with the entire span between the first TCP host and the demarcation point, the entire span comprising a plurality of segments.

A method comprising:

• determining, at a network device located at a demarcation point in a network, a first latency condition between a first set of hosts in the network and the demarcation point and a second latency condition between the demarcation point and a second set of hosts in the network, wherein each of the hosts in the first and second sets are operative to transmit data packets and acknowledge received data packets;
• wherein determining the first network latency condition comprises:
• recording the arrival time, at the network device, of data packets transmitted by a first host of the second set of hosts to a second host of the first set of hosts;
• recording the arrival time, at the network device, of respective acknowledgement packets transmitted by the second host corresponding to the data packets transmitted by the first host;
• and
• computing a difference between the arrival times of the data packets and corresponding acknowledgement packets;
• and
• wherein determining the second network latency condition comprises:
• recording the arrival time, at the network device, of data packets transmitted by second host of the first set of hosts to the first host of the second set of hosts;
• recording the arrival time, at the network device, of respective acknowledgement packets transmitted by the first host corresponding to the data packets transmitted by the second host;
• and
• computing a difference between the arrival times of the data packets and corresponding acknowledgement packets;
• wherein the first latency condition is associated with an entire span between the first TCP host and the demarcation point, the entire span comprising a plurality of segments;
• and
• wherein the second latency condition is associated with the entire span between the first TCP host and the demarcation point, the entire span comprising a plurality of segments.

A network device for use at a demarcation point in a network, the network device comprising:

• a measurement engine operative to maintain information indicative of delays associated with one or more network applications occurring in the network, wherein the delays are based on at least a first delay between a first set of hosts on a first side and the demarcation point and a second delay between a second set of hosts on a second side and the demarcation point;
• a memory coupled to the measurement engine to store the information indicative of the delays occurring in the network;
• and
• one or more code modules stored in a computer readable storage medium comprising instructions operative to cause the network device to:
• determine the first delay by recording in the memory the arrival time, at the demarcation point, of packets transmitted by the second host to the first host;
• recording in the memory the arrival time, at the demarcation point, of respective acknowledgement packets corresponding to the packets transmitted by the second host;
• and computing the difference between the arrival times of the packets and corresponding acknowledgement packets;
• and
• determine the second delay by recording in the memory the arrival time, at the demarcation point, of packets transmitted by the first host to the second host;
• recording in the memory the arrival time, at the demarcation point, of respective acknowledgement packets corresponding to the packets transmitted by the first host;
• computing the difference between the arrival times of the packets and corresponding acknowledgement packets;
• wherein the first latency condition is associated with an entire span between the first TCP host and the demarcation point, the entire span comprising a plurality of segments;
• and
• wherein the second latency condition is associated with the entire span between the first TCP host and the demarcation point, the entire span comprising a plurality of segments.