Automated capturing and characterization of network traffic using feedback
AssigneeIxia
InventorsDiego Dugatkin, Clifford Hannel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Automated capturing and characterization of network traffic using feedback is described. A method may include capturing network traffic, compiling network traffic data based on the network traffic, analyzing the network traffic data, and automatically providing instructions based on the analyzing to control the capturing and the compiling. A system on which the method may execute may include one or more chassis or computing devices having one or more network cards. The chassis and/or the computing devices may be connected to one or more networks, and may be connected to one another. A system that implements the method may include collectors, characterization units, and a feedback controller.
Claims27
A method to capture and analyze network traffic performed by a network testing system coupled with a network, the network testing system including a plurality of network cards, the network testing system including software which when executed causes the network testing system to perform actions comprising:
- capturing network traffic from the network based on a first set of filters
- compiling network traffic data based on the network traffic, wherein the network traffic data includes at least one of protocol distribution data, length distribution data, transaction distribution data, header information, and payload data
- computing basic statistics based on the network traffic data
- sorting the network traffic data to determine network traffic distribution data
- automatically preparing amended filters based on the network traffic data, the basic statistics and the network traffic distribution data
- capturing additional network traffic based on the amended filters
- compiling additional network traffic data based on the additional network traffic
- performing analysis of the additional network traffic data to produce a network traffic characterization.
A machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon which when executed by a processor cause a network testing system to perform operations comprising:
- capturing network traffic from a network based on filters
- compiling network traffic data based on the capturing, wherein the network traffic data includes at least one of protocol distribution data, length distribution data, transaction distribution data, header information, and payload data
- analyzing the network traffic data to produce a network traffic characterization
- successively refining the capturing and the compiling based on the network traffic characterization, the successively refining including automatically providing a first set of instructions to control the capturing and the compiling, the first set of instructions based on the analyzing
- preparing a second set of instructions based on the network traffic characterization
- providing the second set of instructions to control the analyzing
- preparing generated network traffic based on the network traffic characterization
- transmitting the generated network traffic onto the network.
A method of capturing and analyzing network traffic performed by a network testing system coupled with a network, the network testing system including a plurality of network cards, the network testing system including software which when executed causes the network testing system to perform actions comprising:
- capturing network traffic from the network based on filters
- compiling network traffic data based on the capturing, wherein the network traffic data includes at least one of protocol distribution data, length distribution data, transaction distribution data, header information, and payload data
- analyzing the network traffic data to create a network traffic characterization
- automatically providing a first set of instructions to control the capturing and the compiling, the first set of instructions based on the network traffic characterization
- preparing amended filters based on the first set of instructions such that the capturing and the compiling are based on the amended filters
- successively refining the capturing and the compiling based on the first set of instructions
- preparing a second set of instructions based on the network traffic characterization
- providing the second set of instructions to control the analyzing
- preparing generated network traffic based on the network traffic characterization
- transmitting the generated network traffic onto the network.
A system to capture and analyze network traffic, the system comprising:
- a processor
- a storage medium having software stored thereon which when executed by the processor causes the system to provide
- a plurality of collectors to capture network traffic and to compile network traffic data, wherein the collectors are configured to filter the network traffic, wherein the collectors each include at least one data collection unit for each of a plurality of communications protocols supported by the system, wherein the network traffic data includes at least one of protocol distribution data, length distribution data, transaction distribution data, header information and payload data
- a plurality of characterization units to analyze the network traffic to create a network traffic characterization
- a feedback controller coupled with the collectors and the characterization units to control the network traffic captured by the collectors based on the network traffic data and the network traffic characterization, including successively refining the functioning of the collectors and the characterization units by sending instructions to the collectors and the characterization units
- a traffic generator to prepare generated network traffic based on the network traffic characterizations received from the characterization units and to transmit the generated network traffic onto the network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.