Opinion ID: 2689161
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: computer code for collecting network com-

Text: munications usage information in real-time from a plurality of network devices at a plu- rality of layers utilizing multiple gatherers each including a plurality of information source modules each interfacing with one of the network devices and capable of communi- cating using a protocol specific to the network device coupled thereto, the network devices selected from the group consisting of routers, switches, firewalls, authentication servers, web hosts, proxy servers, netflow servers, da- tabases, mail servers, RADIUS servers, and domain name servers, the gatherers being po- sitioned on a segment of the network on which the network devices coupled thereto are posi- AMDOCS LIMITED v. OPENET TELECOM, INC. 9 tioned for minimizing an impact of the gather- ers on the network;