Patent ID: 6847613
Filing Date: 2005-01-25
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. In a method of monitoring a network which comprises a plurality of packet switches and a network management system for managing the packet switches, a packet switch placed on one end boundary of the network, performing the following steps: detecting the start of communication in packets constituting a communication flow to be monitored by looking up a condition matching with the data contained in the header of incoming packets from among the pre-registered conditions for identifying communication flows to be monitored; starting to acquire statistics data on the identified communication flow to be monitored when detecting the start of communication in the packets constituting the communication flow to be monitored; and on the occasion when said switch detects the end of the communication in the packets constituting said identified communication flow to be monitored, sending a packet partially including the locally obtained statistics data to the adjoining packet switch placed downstream in the route across which the packets constituting said identified communication flow to be monitored have passed and commanding said adjoining packet switch to collect the statistics data on said identified communication flow to be monitored, locally obtained by said adjoining packet switch.