Methods and apparatuses for implementing network visibility infrastructure
AssigneeKeysight Technologies Singapore (Holdings) Pte. Ltd.
InventorYouval Nachum
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A visibility infrastructure network or monitoring a switching network is disclosed. There are included a plurality of network infrastructure visibility elements implementing forwarding hardware for forwarding packets to monitoring tools. There is also included an abstracted operating system shared by said plurality of network infrastructure visibility elements. There are further included at least one application executing on said abstracted operating system and a common logical architecture having common protocols for enabling the plurality of network infrastructure visibility elements and the applications to communicate with the abstracted operating system.
Claims20
A visibility infrastructure network configured for monitoring a switching network by redirecting packets to monitoring tools, said packets representing packets transmitted by a switching network or packets generated from said packets transmitted by said switching network, comprising:
- a plurality of network infrastructure visibility elements, said plurality of network infrastructure visibility elements including forwarding hardware for forwarding said packets to said monitoring tools;
- an abstracted operating system shared by said plurality of network infrastructure visibility elements and operates as a control layer for said plurality of network infrastructure visibility elements;
- at least one application executing on said abstracted operating system, said at least one application utilizing a function of one of said plurality of network infrastructure visibility elements;
- and
- a common logical architecture having a first common protocol for enabling said abstracted OS to communicate with said at least one application and a second common protocol for enabling said plurality of network infrastructure visibility elements to communicate with said abstracted operating system.
A method for monitoring a switching network by redirecting packets to monitoring tools, said packets representing packets transmitted by a switching network or packets generated from said packets transmitted by said switching network, comprising:
- providing a plurality of network infrastructure visibility elements, said plurality of network infrastructure visibility elements including forwarding hardware for forwarding said packets to said monitoring tools;
- providing an abstracted operating system;
- sharing said abstracted operating system among said plurality of network infrastructure visibility elements, wherein said abstracted operating system operates as a control layer for said plurality of network infrastructure visibility elements;
- providing at least one application;
- executing said at least one application using said abstracted operating system, said at least one application utilizing a function of one of said plurality of network infrastructure visibility elements;
- and
- providing a common logical architecture having a first common protocol for enabling said abstracted OS to communicate with said at least one application and a second common protocol for enabling said plurality of network infrastructure visibility elements to communicate with said abstracted operating system.
A network infrastructure visibility element configured for monitoring a switching network under control of an application executed on an abstracted operating system, said network infrastructure visibility element redirecting packets to a monitoring tool, said packets representing packets transmitted by a switching network or packets generated from said packets transmitted by said switching network, comprising:
- forwarding hardware for forwarding said packets or copies of said packets to said monitoring tool;
- communication module for communicating, using a common protocol, with said abstracted operating system that is disposed in a location geographically remote relative to said forwarding hardware;
- said operating system being shared by at least one other network infrastructure visibility element via said common protocol;
- and
- L4-L7 service functions at least for steering said packets to said monitoring tool, wherein said network infrastructure visibility element is utilized by said application that executes on said abstract operating system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.