Hardware Interval Counters in Packet Switches for Lower-Cost Traffic Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network traffic evaluation devices require specialized hardware at each port, leading to high costs and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a packet switch with hardware interval counters and a connected computer to generate network traffic activity data by decoupling real-time data collection from hardware-based compression and analysis, using software to process data collected from shared counters across multiple ports.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If specialized hardware is used at each port for real-time data compression and analysis, then measurement precision and real-time processing capability are improved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex data compression and analysis functions from the packet switch hardware and relocates them to a separate computer system. The packet switch is simplified to only perform basic counting and timestamping operations, while the connected computer handles the sophisticated analysis, traffic pattern recognition, and data compression algorithms. This separation resolves the contradiction by maintaining measurement precision through dedicated analysis hardware while reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a standardized interface and protocol as an intermediary between the packet switch and the analysis computer. The packet switch outputs raw count data and timestamps through this intermediary interface, which then gets processed by the analysis computer. This intermediary layer allows the simple hardware to communicate effectively with complex analysis software without requiring the hardware to incorporate sophisticated processing capabilities.
2Reliability
If specialized hardware is deployed at each port, then network traffic monitoring capability is improved, but cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the analysis computer universal by enabling it to monitor and analyze traffic from multiple packet switch ports through a single connection. Instead of requiring dedicated analysis hardware at each port, one computer can handle data from numerous ports by receiving standardized count data and timestamps. This multi-functionality maintains comprehensive monitoring capability while dramatically reducing the quantity of specialized hardware required, thereby lowering system cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses software-based analysis that can be copied and deployed across different systems without requiring physical hardware duplication at each port. The same analysis software can monitor multiple ports by processing data streams from the packet switch, eliminating the need to physically replicate expensive analysis hardware at each location.
3Productivity
If hardware-based real-time processing is implemented, then productivity is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data processing workflow into two distinct phases: real-time data collection at the packet switch (counting and timestamping) and post-processing analysis (compression and pattern recognition). The segmentation allows the packet switch to maintain high-speed real-time operations with simple hardware, while the computationally intensive analysis is performed separately on collected data, achieving overall productivity without requiring complex real-time processing hardware throughout the system.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system has a packet switch for routing network traffic. The packet switch includes a system counter to increment a counter time in predetermined time segments, time stamping logic to associate a received packet with the counter time, and an interval discriminator to assign a received packet to a selected interval counter of a set of interval counters based upon the counter time. A computer is connected to the packet switch. The computer has a memory with instructions executed by a processor to associate the counter time with a time of day, and collect values from the set of interval counters to generate network traffic activity data.