Adaptive network flow analysis
US7420929B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 2, 2002 |
| Grant date | Sep 2, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 12, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L43/062
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A network analyzer includes a hardware-based accounting engine that generates accurate statistics for traffic within a computer network. As the network analyzer receives packets, the accounting engine associates the network packets with respective routing prefixes, and updates flow statistics for the routing prefixes. In this manner, the accounting engine maintains accurate flow statistics for all packets received by network analyzer. The network analyzer includes a control unit that generates prefix data to control the granularity of the traffic analysis. The control unit analyzes the flow statistics maintained by the accounting engine, and adaptively updates the set of prefixes to control the granularity of the statistics. The control unit may generate the prefix data as a forwarding tree having resolution nodes. Each node may associate a network prefix with forwarding next hop data, as well as respective analysis control data to enable or disable flow analysis for the prefix.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.