Patent ID: 6049530
Filing Date: 2000-04-11
Classification: H04L,H04Q

Abstract:
A method for detecting segment performance in a telecommunications connection comprising the steps of:transmitting a block of data from a first node in the telecommunications connection to a second node in the telecommunications connection;transmitting a first communication packet from the first node to the second node, wherein the first communication packet contains a value for a segment performance characterization factor based on the block of data;in the second node, formulating a value for the segment performance characterization factor as a function of the block of data, and forwarding the block of data to a third node in the telecommunications connection;comparing the value of the segment performance characterization factor in the first communication packet with the value of the segment performance characterization factor formulated by the second node;forwarding the first communication packet from the second node to the third node for further processing if the value of the segment performance characterization factor in the first communications packet compares with the value of the segment performance characterization factor formulated by the second node;forwarding the first communication packet from the second node to a destination node and any intermediate nodes located along the telecommunications connection between the second node and the destination node without further processing if the value of the segment performance characterization factor in the first communication packet does not compare with the value of the segment performance characterization factor formulated by the second node; andgenerating a second communications packet indicating that segment performance degradation has been detected if the value of the segment performance characterization factor in the first communication packet does not compare with the value of the segment performance characterization factor formulated by the second node.