Remote Round-Trip Delay Estimation for Network Congestion Diagnosis
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Solution Overview
Problem
E-commerce companies face difficulties in accurately pinpointing network delays within data networks, especially when monitoring Quality of Service (QoS) provided by Internet Service Providers (ISPs), as third-party observers lack access to network diagnostic tools and cannot distinguish between network elements responsible for congestion.
Innovation Solution
A monitoring node is used to determine path delays by transmitting test messages between network nodes, employing a three-phase test procedure to identify suspect path segments causing congestion, and calculating link delays, with confirmatory checks to account for various network topologies and routing tables.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a third-party observer monitors QoS in the network, then they can detect end-to-end network delay, but they cannot accurately pinpoint the specific network path segments causing the delay
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the end-to-end network path into multiple discrete path segments between intermediate nodes. By measuring delay for each segment independently using test messages routed through specific intermediate nodes, the system transforms a single undifferentiated delay measurement into multiple localized measurements, enabling precise identification of which specific segment is causing the delay.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate nodes as mediators in the delay measurement process. These intermediate nodes receive test messages, generate responses, and facilitate segmented delay measurements. The intermediary nodes enable the third-party observer to obtain detailed path segment information without requiring direct access to network provider diagnostic tools.
2Reliability
If the monitoring node transmits test messages through multiple intermediate nodes to diagnose congestion, then it can identify suspect path segments, but it requires multiple message transmissions and calculations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by first identifying all intermediate nodes along the path and organizing them into sets before conducting delay measurements. The system pre-calculates which intermediate nodes to test and in what sequence, allowing the diagnosis process to proceed efficiently without redundant measurements or calculations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by selectively measuring delay for only those path segments that are suspected of causing congestion, rather than measuring all possible segments. The system identifies suspect path segments based on initial observations and focuses diagnostic efforts on those specific segments, reducing the total number of measurements required.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a technique for data network congestion diagnosis using remote estimation of round-trip delays. A monitoring node transmits test messages between network nodes and measures the transit times between when the test messages are transmitted from, and when they return to, the monitoring node. A path delay between network nodes is determined based on the measured time delays. The techniques for determining network path delay are also utilized in conjunction with a three phase test procedure for diagnosing network congestion problems. Due to various network topologies and routing tables, certain confirmatory checks may be required to determine whether the procedures of the first or second phase test procedures are appropriate for particular path segments. Further, queuing delays may be determined by subtracting traffic independent delays from the measured transit times of the test messages, and such queuing delays may be used to determine the path delays. Such traffic independent delays may be determined during periods of low network traffic.