Patent ID: 8588082

Claim:
A network testing system having at least one network card, the network card including a processor, a memory and a network communications unit, the network testing system coupled with a network to which a device under test is also coupled, the network testing system having instructions stored thereon which when executed cause the network testing system to perform operations comprising: receiving user selection to create a control plane and data plane test; receiving test information from the user, the test information including user specification of the device under test, user selection of a control plane event, and user specification of a threshold, the threshold used as an ascending threshold and a descending threshold; receiving user selection to execute the control plane and data plane test; executing the control plane and data plane test, beginning with a first port the first port receiving network traffic; evaluating whether the ascending threshold is met; when the ascending threshold is not met, disregarding the network traffic received at the first port including not storing network traffic data about the network traffic received at the first port; when the ascending threshold is met, storing the network traffic data about the network traffic received at the first port; evaluating whether the descending threshold is met; when the descending threshold is not met, continuing storing the network traffic data about the network traffic received at the first port; when the descending threshold is met, recognizing the device under test transitioning to a second receive port; the second port receiving network traffic; evaluating whether the ascending threshold is met; when the ascending threshold is not met, disregarding the network traffic received at the second port including not storing network traffic data about the network traffic received at the second port; when the ascending threshold is met, storing the network traffic data about the network traffic received at the second port; wherein the network traffic data includes information about a first packet reaching the ascending threshold on the second port and information about a last packet above the descending threshold on the first port; computing statistics based on the network traffic data, the statistics including an inter-arrival time and at least one selected from the group including a ramp-up convergence time, a ramp-down convergence time, a control plane data plane convergence time, and a data plane convergence time; displaying the statistics based on the network traffic data.