Patent ID: 8797891

Claim:
A method for monitoring bandwidth utilization on a port in a data network comprising: receiving, at a processor, a first measurement of bandwidth utilization at a first time for the port, wherein bandwidth utilization identifies a current amount of bandwidth of the port being used relative to a maximum available bandwidth of the port; determining, at the processor, whether the first measurement of bandwidth utilization equals or exceeds a predetermined utilization threshold; receiving, at the processor, at least one subsequent measurement of bandwidth utilization at a subsequent time for the port; determining, at the processor, whether the at least one subsequent measurement of bandwidth utilization equals or exceeds the predetermined utilization threshold; establishing, at the processor, a parameter defining a utilization characteristic for the port over time and a parameter threshold; in response to determining that the first and the at least one subsequent bandwidth utilization measurements equal or exceed the predetermined utilization threshold, analyzing, at the processor, whether the parameter threshold has been met or exceeded; and in response to determining that the parameter threshold has been met or exceeded, setting, at the processor, a bandwidth utilization alert for the port wherein the bandwidth utilization alert indicates that bandwidth utilization at the port has reached a level that risks compromising a service provided to a device via the port.