Patent ID: 8611233

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising the steps of: receiving, at a traffic generator comprising a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agent, configuration data associated with a management protocol from a management system via a test network; generating, at the traffic generator, test data traffic at least based on the configuration data, wherein the test data traffic comprises fabricated data traffic configured to simulate real data traffic; transmitting, from the traffic generator, to a first network element, the test data traffic via the test network; transmitting, from the first network element, to one or more other network elements, the test data traffic via the test network; receiving, at the traffic generator, from the one or more other network elements, the test data traffic via the test network; receiving, at the traffic generator, from the management system, a query associated with the management protocol that requests data traffic information associated with at least one of the generated test data traffic, the transmitted test data traffic from the traffic generator, and the received test data traffic; processing the query by accessing values of distinct data traffic variables associated with the requested data traffic information, wherein the data traffic variables relate to a total number of data packets generated and a total number of data packets transmitted; and transmitting, to the management system, the requested data traffic information in response to the query.