Packet Flow Monitoring With Triggered Network Measurements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing performance measurement techniques in packet-switched communication networks require significant computational effort from measurement points due to the need to monitor multiple packet flows, which is resource-intensive, especially at high-traffic nodes.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a performance measurement application on user communication devices to monitor packet flows and activate network measurement points only when failure conditions are detected, reducing the computational load on network nodes by selectively monitoring specific flows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If measurement points monitor all packet flows transmitted through the network, then measurement precision and reliability are improved, but computational effort and resource consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by having measurement points monitor only a subset of packet flows - specifically those marked by the performance measurement application on user devices. Instead of monitoring all flows, the system selectively monitors only the flows that are actually being measured by end-user applications, thereby reducing computational effort while maintaining measurement precision for the relevant flows.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism - the performance measurement application on user devices and the packet marking system - that acts as a mediator between the need for comprehensive monitoring and the limitation of computational resources. The marking packets with measurement identifiers serves as an intermediary signal that directs measurement points to monitor only specific flows without requiring centralized coordination or full-flow analysis.
2Measurement precision
If measurement points monitor multiple packet flows individually, then measurement granularity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making each measurement point's monitoring behavior adaptive to local conditions - specifically, whether packets are marked for measurement. Each measurement point independently checks for measurement markers on incoming packets and adjusts its monitoring behavior accordingly, rather than all measurement points uniformly monitoring all flows. This local decision-making simplifies the overall system complexity while maintaining fine-grained measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the monitoring task by dividing packet flows into monitored and non-monitored categories based on measurement markers. Instead of treating all flows uniformly, the system segments flows at the packet level using markers, allowing measurement points to focus computational resources only on segmented flows that require measurement, thereby reducing device complexity while preserving measurement granularity for relevant flows.
3Reliability
If performance measurement is performed on all packet flows, then reliability of performance assessment is improved, but loss of time and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-marking packets with measurement identifiers before they traverse the network. The performance measurement application on user devices marks packets in advance, so that measurement points along the path can quickly identify and measure only the relevant flows without performing complex analysis or decision-making at each measurement point. This preliminary marking action significantly reduces processing time while maintaining reliable performance assessment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes a mechanical/complex processing system with a simpler marker-based identification system. Instead of requiring measurement points to analyze packet contents or maintain complex state information to determine which flows to monitor, the system replaces this complex mechanism with simple marker detection and conditional counting, dramatically reducing processing time while preserving measurement reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
It is disclosed a method and system for providing performance measurements in a packet-switched communication network, wherein a performance measurement application run by a user communication device monitors the performance of a packet flow which a user application run by the user communication device exchanges with the packet-switched communication network. This monitoring comprising providing values of a performance parameter relating to the packet flow. If, based on the performance parameter values provided by the performance measurement application, a failure condition affecting the packet flow is detected, a further monitoring of the performance of the packet flow is activated, by one or more measurement points located within the packet-switched communication network on the path of the packet flow. This further monitoring comprising providing values of a further performance parameter relating to the packet flow.