Patent ID: 7562140
Filing Date: 2009-07-14
Classification: H04L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method of providing performance trend information from a routing device or switching device in a packet-switched network to a network management station, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps, performed at the routing device or switching device, of: creating and maintaining, in the device, one or more state variables that store values associated with data processing functions of the device; creating and storing, in the device, a trend indicator value and a trend tendency value, both associated with a particular state variable among the one or more state variables; periodically sampling the particular state variable to obtain one or more sampled values; determining and updating the trend indicator value with a direction of change in the one or more sampled values of the particular state variable over a particular time; determining and updating the trend tendency value with a rate of change in the one or more sampled values of the particular state variable over the particular time; and sending the trend indicator value and the trend tendency value from the device to the network management station.