Patent ID: 8194669

Claim:
A method for identifying features of communication sessions over a bearer between two nodes, wherein the communication content is carried over at least three layers including a user layer, an adaptation layer and a data link layer and wherein the data in each layer is organized in layer's frames and wherein each layer's frame is comprised of a header and payload, the method comprising the steps of: intercepting the communication between the two nodes; and processing a chain of a plurality of data link layer frames that carry the communication, wherein each data link layer frame is associated with one or more sessions and wherein each data link layer frame is processed by: parsing the header of the data link layer frame; parsing the header of the adaptation layer frame; identifying the one or more sessions carried by the received data link layer frame; and each session is processed by: determining which portion of a user's frame belonging to the session is included in the data link layer frame wherein: if the beginning of the user's frame is included, then storing a receipt time and a number of bytes of the session that are included in the data link layer frame in a storage volume that was allocated to the session in an entry that was allocated to a next user's frame; if the end of the user's frame is included, then adding the number of bytes of the session that are included in the data link layer frame to the number of bytes that are stored in the entry that was allocated to the user's frame and notifying the end of the user's frame; if a portion of the user's frame is included, then adding the number of bytes of the session that are included in the data link layer frame to the number of bytes that are stored in the entry that was allocated to the user's frame; if the entire user's frame is included, then storing the receipt time and the number of bytes of the session that are included in the data link layer frame in a storage volume that was allocated to the session in an entry that was allocated to a next user's frame and notifying the end of the user's frame.