Patent ID: 7355981
Filing Date: 2008-04-08
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for identifying network conditions affecting a computer network, the network having a mechanism for sending packet bursts along a path in the network and receiving said packet bursts at an end of the path, the method comprising: providing a plurality of example signatures, each of the example signatures including information indicative of a specific network condition, and at least a part of one or more example signatures indicative of one or more of packet loss, packet ordering and packet timings, wherein each specific network condition causes a unique behavior directly indicative of data transmission performance in the computer network; acquiring test data, which test data is based on actual propagation of test packets along the path; creating a test signature from the test data, said test signature being an organized collection of information obtained from said test data, and at least a part of said test signature indicative of one or more of packet loss, packet ordering and packet timings, wherein the test signature comprises packet loss statistics for a plurality of positions within bursts of test packets of a first size; comparing the test signature to the example signatures; and, identifying at least one of the example signatures which matches the test signature according to a match criterion, thereby identifying at least one network condition affecting the computer network.