Multipoint Packet Flow Performance Measurement via Cluster Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for measuring performance in packet-switched communication networks are inefficient for multipoint packet flows, requiring separate measurements of point-to-point flows and resulting in a high number of performance parameters to be generated, updated, and merged, which is computationally costly.
Innovation Solution
A method that marks each packet of a multipoint packet flow with alternating marking values and uses a monitoring network with measurement points to identify clusters where packets follow the same path, allowing for cumulative performance measurement without relying on separate measurements of individual point-to-point flows, thereby reducing computational overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate measurements are performed for each point-to-point packet flow in a multipoint packet flow, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and computational overhead increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple point-to-point packet flow measurements into a single multipoint packet flow measurement by introducing a cluster identification mechanism. Packets are marked with cluster identifiers, and measurement points aggregate performance parameters (packet loss, delay, jitter) across all packets belonging to the same cluster, thereby combining multiple measurements into one without sacrificing measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement system is designed to handle both point-to-point and multipoint packet flows using a universal measurement framework. The same measurement points and performance parameters are used regardless of whether the packet flow is point-to-point or multipoint, eliminating the need for separate measurement mechanisms and reducing overall system complexity.
2Measurement precision
If separate measurements are performed for each point-to-point packet flow, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity decreases due to the high number of parameters to be generated, updated, and merged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by marking packets with cluster identifiers before they traverse the network. This pre-marking allows measurement points to efficiently aggregate parameters for multiple packet flows simultaneously without requiring post-measurement processing and merging of separate measurement results, thereby improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
Measurement parameters from multiple point-to-point flows are merged into single aggregate parameters for the multipoint flow at each measurement point. This merging occurs in real-time during packet processing rather than requiring separate processing and subsequent combination of multiple measurement datasets, significantly improving measurement efficiency.
3Measurement precision
If marking is applied to all packets in a multipoint packet flow, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of substance increases due to additional marking data
Solution Approach 1:
The marking is applied selectively rather than uniformly to all packets. Each packet is marked with a cluster identifier that is specific to its originating point-to-point flow within the multipoint flow. This localized marking approach provides sufficient information for accurate measurement while minimizing the addition of redundant data to each packet.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for performing a performance measurement on a multipoint packet flow transmitted in a packet-switched subnetwork. A monitoring network of measurement points is implemented in the subnetwork. All packets have a marking value, which is periodically switched between first and second marking values. Each measurement point receiving a marked packet updates a couple of performance parameters, one per each marking value. Since not all the measurement points receive the same packets of the multipoint packet flow, to provide a performance measurement a cluster of measurement points is firstly identified in the monitoring network, which possesses the following property: each packet received at the input of the cluster is also received at the output of the cluster, if no packet loss occurs. The performance parameters provided by input and output measurement points of the identified cluster are then used for providing the performance measurements.