US 7,804,775 B2Granted

Apparatus and computer program for identifying selected applications utilizing a single existing available bit in frame headers

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsRobert J. Dugan, Daniel G. Eisenhauer, Giles R. Frazier, William J. Rooney

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An apparatus and computer program are disclosed for collecting data about the transmission of network packets that are associated with specified applications. The packets are transmitted through a communications network fabric that is used to couple data processing systems together. A particular existing single bit in a frame header definition is selected. The bit is defined as part of the standard frame header by a communication protocol as an available bit in the frame header. The standard protocol is unchanged by the selection of this bit. An application is specified to be monitored. The selected bit is then set in each network packet that is generated by the specified application. The fabric collects performance data for each packet that has the bit set. Thus, the fabric collects performance data about a transmission of each packet that is generated by the application when that application is setting the bit.

Claims11

Dependent claims

An apparatus in a communications network fabric, that is used to couple data processing systems together, for collecting data about the transmission of network packets, associated with specified applications, through said fabric, said apparatus comprising:

a network fabric having an application to generate a particular existing single bit selected in a standard definition of a frame header, said bit already being defined by a communication protocol standard as an available bit in said frame header definition, said protocol standard being unchanged by said selection;
the application being specified to be monitored;
said selected bit being set in each network packet that is generated by said specified application;
said fabric collecting performance data about a transmission of each packet through said fabric that has said bit set;
said fabric collecting performance data about a transmission of each packet that is generated by said application;
a performance manager requesting permission to use said single bit;
said fabric determining whether a performance manager other than said performance manager currently has permission to use said single bit;
in response to determining that no performance manager other than said performance manager currently has permission to use said single bit, said fabric granting permission to said performance manager to use said bit;
and
in response to determining that another performance manager other than said performance manager currently has permission to use said single bit, said fabric refraining from granting permission to said performance manager to use said bit until said another performance manager other than said performance manager relinquishes said single bit.

7 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a computer program for collecting data about the transmission of network packets that are associated with specified applications as said packets are transmitted through a communications network fabric that is used to couple data processing systems together, said computer program comprising:

Instructions for selecting a particular existing single bit in a standard definition of a frame header, said bit already being defined by a communication protocol standard as an available bit in said frame header definition, said protocol standard being unchanged by said selection;
instructions for specifying the application to monitor;
instructions for setting said selected bit in each network packet that is generated by said specified application;
instructions for collecting, by said fabric, performance data about a transmission of each packet through said fabric that has said bit set;
said fabric collecting performance data about a transmission of each packet that is generated by said application;
instructions for requesting, by a performance manager, permission to use said single bit;
instructions for determining whether a performance manager other than said performance manager currently has permission to use said single bit;
in response to determining that no performance manager other than said performance manager currently has permission to use said single bit, instructions for granting permission to said performance manager to use said bit;
and
in response to determining that another performance manager other than said performance manager currently has permission to use said single bit, instructions for refraining from granting permission to said performance manager to use said bit until said another performance manager other than said performance manager relinquishes said single bit.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/205,502Filed 5 Sep 2008 · continuation
Priority: 9 Sep 2004
Published: US 2009/0003233 A11 Jan 2009
Granted: 28 Sep 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

H04L 41/5009
Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS: determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g.…
H04L 41/5096
Based on type of value added network service under agreement: wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications
H04L 43/00
Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
H04L 49/357
For storage area networks: fibre channel switches

Family

Application10/937,669Parent of this continuation · filed 9 Sep 2004
US 2009/0003233 A1Pre-grant publication · published 1 Jan 2009
US 7,433,306 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2006/0050647 A1Published application
US 7,804,775 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.