Patent ID: 7724681
Filing Date: 2010-05-25
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. Apparatus for routing a measurement packet being transmitted across a packet switched network between a source node and a destination node for collecting measurement data regarding the network, the apparatus comprising: a measurement packet detector configured to detect receipt of a first measurement packet; a processing element, coupled to the detector and configured to determine whether the first measurement packet is capable of collecting a predetermined amount of additional measurement data; a packet replicating element configured to create a replica measurement packet if the first measurement packet is incapable of collecting the predetermined amount of additional measurement data, such that one of the first and replica measurement packets has an empty measurement data payload; and a packet routing element configured to route on in the network to collect more data either: the first measurement packet if the first measurement packet is capable of collecting the predetermined amount of additional measurement data; or the measurement packet with the empty measurement data payload if a replica measurement packet has been created, wherein the packet routing element is further configured to route the measurement packet without the empty measurement data payload to a measurement data collection device, if a replica measurement packet has been created.