Patent ID: 7894356

Claim:
A system for measuring network performance, said system comprising: a measurement unit for analyzing a network; a first element in a network, said first element being operable to: receive a data packet and to create a clone packet based on said data packet, said clone packet having a destination the same as a destination of said data packet and having information identifying said clone packet as a clone, insert said clone packet into a data stream with said data packet; create a first sample packet including timing information with regard to said first clone packet at said first element; and send said first sample packet to the measurement unit, a second element in said network operable to: receive said clone packet; create a second sample packet including timing information with regard to said clone or data packet at said second element, and send said second sample packet to said measurement unit wherein the measurement unit correlates the first and second sample packets; wherein said measurement unit is further operable to compare said first sample packet to said second sample packet to determine a packet delay for the network; and wherein said second element is further operable to inspect a payload of said clone packet and generate a packet filter in response thereto, wherein said packet filter is operable to inspect one or more subsequent data packets and to create one or more sample packets, said one or more sample packets including timing information with regard to said one or more subsequent data packets at said second element.