Patent · US Active

Method and apparatus for generating a network topology representation based on inspection of application messages at a network device

US7996556B2 · kind B2 · utility

299Cited by
88References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 24, 2005
Grant dateAug 9, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 12, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F9/546
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method is disclosed for generating a network topology representation based on inspection of application messages at a network device. According to one aspect, a network device receives a request packet, routes the packet to the destination, and extracts and stores correlation information from a copy of the request packet. When the network device receives a response packet, it examines the contents of a copy of the response packet using context-based correlation rules and matches the response packet with the appropriate stored request packet correlation information. It analyzes recorded correlation information to determine application-to-application mapping and calculate application response times. Another embodiment inserts custom headers that contain information used to match a response packet with a request packet into request packets.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.