Node Location Estimation via Trace Information Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network analysis tools face challenges in determining node locations within communication networks due to limited traffic trace information, which is often insufficient to accurately model communication delays and physical node positions, requiring costly manual methods and extensive user input.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that analyzes trace information by sorting, filtering, and characterizing round-trip times between nodes to identify their relative locations to monitoring devices, reducing the need for manual methods and user input by distinguishing between local and remote nodes based on communication delays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual methods are used to determine node locations, then location accuracy is improved, but the time and cost required increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables node locations to be determined automatically through self-service mechanisms. The automated analysis tool processes trace information and round-trip time measurements to compute node locations without requiring manual intervention, thereby resolving the contradiction between accuracy and time consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical methods with an automated computational system. Instead of manual measurement and calculation, the system uses automated analysis tools that process trace information and compute node locations algorithmically, significantly reducing the time required while maintaining accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If extensive user input is collected to determine node locations, then location determination accuracy is improved, but the complexity of the process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential information needed for location determination from trace data, specifically round-trip time measurements. By focusing on this key parameter and eliminating the need for extensive user input about network topology and node configurations, the system reduces process complexity while maintaining determination accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated analysis tool acts as an intermediary that processes raw trace information and converts it into meaningful location data. This intermediary system handles the complexity of data processing internally, presenting a simplified interface to users while maintaining high determination accuracy through sophisticated algorithms.
3Loss of information
If monitoring devices are placed at each node location, then trace information completeness is improved, but the cost and complexity of deployment increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses partial action by deploying monitoring devices at only a subset of strategic network locations rather than at every node. The automated analysis tool compensates for the limited trace information by using round-trip time measurements and algorithmic processing to infer complete network topology and node locations, thereby achieving information completeness without proportional deployment complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The locations of nodes in a network are determined relative to the location of monitoring devices that collect trace information on the network. By appropriate sorting, filtering, and characterizing the trace information, nodes are identified as being local to or remote from each monitoring device that detects traffic to or from the node. If the trace information is insufficient to determine the relative location of a node, the node is identified as such. By identifying the nodes whose locations can be determined automatically by this analysis of the trace information, the number of nodes whose locations must be determined by more costly manual methods can be substantially reduced.