Method and system for assigning priority among network segments

A network traffic analysis system operable on a host computer being coupled to a network, said network having multiple segments that may utilize various data acquisition methods, the system comprising:

• a network organizer that categorizes the multiple segments of the network;
• a protocol data unit (“PDU”) distributor that determines the number of PDUs necessary to obtain traffic information form one of said multiple segments;
• a network prioritizer that ranks said categorized segments amongst themselves according to a necessity to obtain data traffic information for analysis;
• and
• a system optimizer that determines how many of the ranked segments can provide data traffic information without exceeding a set PDU credit limit by an apportioning element that subtracts said determined number of PDUs for each prioritized segment from said PDU credit limit until the value of the PDU credit limit is similar to zero.

A computer readable storage medium tangibly embodying programmed instructions to implementing a method for adapting the operation of a network management system to optimize the operational relationship between a host computer, the programmed instructions, and a coupled network, said method comprising:

• categorize the multiple segments of the network by organizing said segments into lists of segments according to the data acquisition method used to obtain network traffic information;
• rank said categorized segments amongst themselves according to a necessity to obtain data traffic information for analysis and mark to ignore any duplicate segments from said lists;
• and
• determine how many of the ranked segments can provide data traffic information without exceeding a set protocol data unit (“PDU”) credit limit.

A network traffic analysis system operable on a host computer being coupled to a network, said network having multiple segments that may utilize various data acquisition methods, the system comprising:

• a network organizer that categorizes the multiple segments of the network into lists of segments according to the data acquisition method that the associated segments use for obtaining network traffic information;
• a network prioritizer that ranks said categorized segments amongst themselves according to a necessity to obtain data traffic information for analysis;
• a system optimizer that determines how many of the ranked segments can provide data traffic information without exceeding a set protocol data unit (“PDU”) credit limit;
• and
• a duplicate node eliminator that ignores a segment of at least one of said lists of segments that can be found in another one of said lists of segments having a higher ranking.

A network traffic analysis system operable on a host computer being coupled to a network, said network having multiple segments that may utilize various data acquisition methods, the system comprising:

• a network organizer that categorizes the multiple segments of the network into lists of segments according to the data acquisition method that the associated segments use for obtaining network traffic information;
• a network prioritizer that ranks said categorized segments amongst themselves according to a necessity to obtain data traffic information for analysis;
• a system optimizer that determines how many of the ranked segments can provide data traffic information without exceeding a set protocol data unit (“PDU”) credit limit;
• and
• a utilization element to determine which of said multiple segments should provide detailed traffic information according to previously collected basic traffic information.

A computer readable storage medium tangibly embodying programmed instructions to implementing a method for adapting the operation of a network management system to optimize the operational relationship between a host computer, the programmed instructions, and a coupled network, said method comprising

• categorize the multiple segments of the network;
• rank said categorized segments amongst themselves by determining the number of protocol data units (“PDU”) necessary to obtain traffic information from each one of said multiple segments;
• and
• determine how many of the ranked segments can provide data traffic information without exceeding a set PDU credit limit by subtracting said determined number of PDUs for each prioritized segment from said PDU credit limit until the value of the PDU credit limit is similar to zero.