Network Traffic Logging with Embedded Product Identifiers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In multi-tenant computing systems, conventional logging services struggle to identify and track network traffic generated by specific products within virtual networks, as they only capture IP addresses and lack information about the computing resources driving the traffic, making it difficult for vendors to understand their product usage and revenue generation.
Innovation Solution
A logging system that captures and records the source and destination of network traffic, along with product identification, allowing for detailed analysis and reporting on product usage within virtual computer system services, including anonymization of data for vendors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional logging services are used in multi-tenant computing systems, then network traffic can be captured, but product identification information is lost making it difficult to track specific product usage
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by injecting product identification information into network traffic packets at the source before the traffic enters the logging system. This ensures that the identification data is already embedded in the traffic flow, allowing logging services to capture complete information without requiring complex post-processing or additional probing mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism that acts as a bridge between the computing resources generating network traffic and the logging services. This intermediary component intercepts traffic packets, extracts or injects product identification information, and forwards the enhanced packets to logging services, thereby enabling product tracking without modifying the core logging infrastructure.
2Measurement precision
If detailed network traffic logging is implemented to track product usage, then product identification accuracy improves, but customer privacy and data security concerns increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the necessary product identification information from network traffic packets while leaving out sensitive customer data. By selectively extracting only the product ID fields and excluding other potentially sensitive information, the system achieves accurate product tracking while minimizing privacy exposure. This extraction approach allows vendors to receive usage metrics without exposing customer identities or detailed operational data.
3Loss of information
If network traffic logging is enhanced to include product identification, then vendor insights into product usage improve, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates simplified copies of network traffic packets that contain only the essential product identification information needed for usage tracking. Instead of logging complete packet contents or implementing complex analysis pipelines, the system generates streamlined copy packets with embedded product IDs that can be processed by standard logging infrastructure, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining vendor insights.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for generating network traffic logs including product identifiers is presented. A first computer system includes a first memory coupled to a first processor. The first memory includes instructions that upon execution cause the first computer system to receive a log entry from a second computer system. The log entry includes a virtual network interface identification associated with a first virtual computer system instance. The instructions cause the first computer system to determine a machine image using the virtual network interface identification, and update a record indicating usage of virtual computer system instances created using the machine image.