Network Traffic Replay With IP Rewriting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for testing network traffic in a lab environment are challenging and costly, as they require replicating all possible server configurations and protocols, making it difficult to simulate real-world network conditions for business processes and applications.
Innovation Solution
The method involves capturing and replaying network traffic files from a live IT environment, modifying IP addresses and port numbers to simulate different test connections, and modifying checksums in real-time to create synthetic network traffic for a test environment, allowing for the simulation of various client and server configurations without the need for real-time server generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all possible server configurations and protocols are replicated in a lab environment, then the accuracy of network traffic testing is improved, but the complexity and cost of the testing setup increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent captures actual network traffic from a live IT environment and replays it in the lab setting. Instead of replicating complex server configurations and protocols, the system copies real network traffic patterns, preserving the authenticity of testing while eliminating the need to recreate elaborate test environments with multiple servers and protocols
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary capture of network traffic during normal operations before the actual testing phase. By capturing traffic in advance during live operations, the system prepares authentic test data without needing to set up complex test environments at the time of testing, thereby simplifying the testing setup while maintaining accuracy
2Reliability
If real network traffic is used for testing, then the realism of test scenarios is improved, but the cost and difficulty of maintaining test environments increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures real network traffic from production environments and replays it in controlled lab settings. This copying approach preserves the realism of actual network conditions while eliminating the need to maintain complex test environments with real servers and protocols, thereby reducing maintenance costs and operational difficulty
Solution Approach 2:
The system separates the traffic capture function from the traffic replay function. Traffic is captured during live operations and stored for later replay in simplified test environments. This segmentation allows real traffic to be used for testing without requiring the maintenance of complex test environments, as the test environment only needs to handle replayed traffic packets
3Productivity
If multiple captured network traffic files are replayed simultaneously, then the throughput of testing is improved, but the risk of connection collisions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system assigns unique source IP addresses and port combinations to each replayed traffic file, creating distinct connection identities for each simultaneous replay. This local differentiation ensures that even though multiple traffic files are replayed simultaneously to increase throughput, each connection maintains its uniqueness, preventing collisions and preserving testing reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts connection parameters such as source IP addresses and port numbers based on the number of simultaneous replays being performed. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maximize throughput by running multiple replays concurrently while automatically preventing connection collisions through real-time parameter adjustment
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and machine readable and executable instructions are provided for replaying captured network traffic. A method for replaying captured network traffic can include replaying multiple captured network traffic files simultaneously on the same network device, the captured network traffic files including original network traffic captured from N original connections between C original clients and S original servers. During replaying, rewriting IP addresses and/or port number information of data packets comprising the original network traffic to reflect test network traffic from M test connections between X test clients and Y test servers, where at least X is different than C or Y is different than S. The method further includes modifying checksums, during replaying, to correct values corresponding to the rewritten IP addresses and port number information. N, C, S, M, X, and Y are positive integers.