Patent ID: 6272110
Filing Date: 2001-08-07
Classification: G06Q,H04L,H04Q,Y04S

Abstract:
A method of predicting the performance of a virtual private network forming part of a communications network, comprising the steps of:(i) recording a predetermined maximum permissible traffic level value for the virtual private network,(ii) predicting a plurality of sequential future values of a time series of data representative of predicted traffic levels in the virtual private network;(iii) comparing the predicted future values with the predetermined maximum traffic level value, and(iv) providing an output representative of a parameter selected from the group of; a time at which traffic levels as represented by at least one of the future values will be greater than the predetermined maximum traffic level, a duration between a pair of future values which represent the start and finish of a period of traffic levels which are greater than the predetermined maximum traffic level, and the amount by which the traffic levels represented by the future values is greater than the predetermined maximum traffic level.