Extensible framework for client-based active network measurement

A computer system for active network measurements, the system comprising:

• a collection of client devices each having a service component and a control component for active network measurement, wherein:
• (a) the control component parses a configuration file for a plurality of active network measurements to extract commands for implementing the plurality of active network measurements, the commands including probe stream configuration commands and probe stream injection commands;
• (b) the probe stream configuration commands and probe stream injection commands are part of a defined set of commands that is used to determine all of the following end-to-end properties:
• connectivity, capacity, cross-traffic properties, available bandwidth, and queuing delay;
• and
• (c) the service component receives and performs the commands parsed by the control component;
• a single script interface that receives commands for implementing all of the plurality of active network measurements of network data associated with one or more of the collection of client devices,
• wherein the commands received at the script interface are included in a configuration file, and, when the configuration file is parsed, are used to configure probe streams associated with the plurality of active network measurements;
• and
• a communication network connecting the collection of clients through one or more communication links, wherein each client analyzes network data provided in response to the probe streams and calculates the following end-to-end properties:
• connectivity, capacity, cross-traffic properties, available bandwidth, and queuing delay based on the provided network data.

One or more client devices executing a lightweight computing framework for extensible active network measurements, the computing framework comprising:

• a sending component to generate and inject probe streams associated with active network measurements, based at least in part on probe stream configuration commands and probe stream injection commands parsed from an active network measurement configuration file, the probe stream configuration commands and the probe stream injection commands received into a single script interface for implementing the active network measurements,
• wherein the probe stream configuration commands and probe stream injection commands in the configuration file are selected from a defined set of commands that is used to determine all of the following link properties:
• connectivity, capacity, cross-traffic properties, available bandwidth, and queuing delay;
• a receiving component to receive network data collected by the injected probe streams;
• an analysis component to utilize the network data to estimate link properties for connectivity, capacity, cross-traffic properties, available bandwidth, and queuing delay;
• and
• an output component to provide the network data or path properties.