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US 8,134,927 B2Granted
Apparatus and methods for capturing data packets from a network
AssigneeIxia
InventorsNimal K. K. Gamage, Thomas G. Bartz, Richard B. Whitner, Charles J. Gruber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one embodiment, data packets are captured from a network using a physical, network-connectable data capture probe. As the data packets are captured, the data packets are time-stamped with time-of-capture time-stamps. The time-stamped data packets are then stored; and in parallel, the time-stamped data packets are forwarded to at least one consumer in real-time.
Claims17
A system for data packet capture, the system comprising:
- a data packet capture apparatus comprising:
- a physical, network-connectable data capture probe;
- a time-stamping circuit configured to time stamp data packets captured via the data capture probe;
- a real time data packet interface;
- a real-time packet forwarding circuit configured to stream the data packets captured via the data capture probe to the real-time data packet interface;
- a data store;
- a real-time packet storing circuit operating in parallel with the real-time packet forwarding circuit, the real-time packet storing circuit configured to store the data packets captured via the data capture probe, in association with time stamps generated by the time-stamping circuit, in the data store, wherein the data store stores the data packets captured by the data capture probe for non-real time access;
- an application configured to receive the data packets from the real-time data packet interface, to drop at least one of the packets, and to obtain a copy of the dropped packet from the data store;
- and
- wherein the real-time packet storing circuit associates stored packets in different groups and the data packet capture apparatus further comprises a configuration interface, wherein the real-time packet storing circuit adaptively reconfigures at least one parameter of the different groups, in response to input received via the configuration interface while data packets are being captured by the data packet capture apparatus.
7 more elements
A method for capturing data packets from a network, comprising:
- at a data packet capture apparatus;
- capturing the data packets at a physical, network-connectable data capture probe of the data packet capture apparatus;
- as the data packets are captured, time-stamping the data packets with time-of-capture time-stamps;
- and
- in parallel,
- storing the time-stamped data packets in a data store of the data packet capture apparatus for non-real-time access;
- forwarding the time-stamped data packets to at least one application in real-time;
- associating the stored data packets in different groups;
- providing a configuration interface;
- and
- adaptively reconfiguring at least one parameter of the different groups in response to input received via the configuration interface while data packets are being captured by the data packet capture apparatus
- at the at least one network monitoring application:
- dropping at least one of the data packets and obtaining a copy of the dropped packet from the data store.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.