Patent ID: 7974196
Filing Date: 2011-07-05
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving a plurality of packets in a first system port buffer, wherein the first system port buffer comprises a plurality of queues, and wherein an individual counter of a plurality of counters is associated with each of the plurality of queues; scanning the counters, wherein the counters count a number of dropped packets associated with one or more of the plurality of queues to determine if the number of dropped packets for an individual queue of the plurality of queues is greater than a predetermined number; forwarding incoming packets to a network analysis module (NAM), wherein the forwarding to the NAM is terminated if the number of dropped packets for the individual queue is greater than the predetermined number; and accessing the NAM to determine a source of packets for the individual queue that immediately precede termination of the forwarding to the NAM and deducing that the source of the immediately preceding packets is also an originating source of the dropped packets; forwarding a subsequent incoming packet sent to the individual queue to a second system port buffer independent of the first system port buffer, wherein if the number of dropped packets is greater than the predetermined number, then inspecting the forwarded subsequent incoming packet to determine a source of the forwarded subsequent incoming packet else continue scanning the counters to determine the number of dropped packets, wherein if the forwarded subsequent incoming packet is an immediately subsequent incoming packet with respect to a last dropped packet then identifying a source of the dropped packets by inferring the forwarded subsequent incoming packet originates from a same source as the source of the dropped packets.