Round-Trip Performance Measurement in Packet-Switched Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for round-trip performance measurements in packet-switched communication networks, such as Ping and TWAMP, face limitations in high packet rate applications due to complex processing requirements and inaccuracies related to timestamp generation, leading to unreliable results.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that generate test packets formatted according to the network protocol, transmitted within a tunnel, and processed at the target node using existing hardware forwarding capabilities, allowing for accurate and reliable round-trip performance measurements without requiring special protocols or hardware implementations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Ping or TWAMP techniques are used for round-trip measurements, then measurement capability is provided, but processing complexity at the echoer/reflector node increases and computational effort is required
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement device performs all processing operations itself - generating test packets, inserting timestamps, receiving echo packets, and calculating measurements. The target node simply echoes packets back without any special processing, making the system self-sufficient at the measurement device while minimizing requirements at the target node.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex timestamp generation and processing functions are extracted from the target node and concentrated entirely at the measurement device. This extraction eliminates the need for complex hardware implementations or special protocol support at the target node, resolving the contradiction between measurement capability and device complexity.
2Productivity
If high packet rate measurements are performed using Ping or TWAMP, then measurement speed increases, but processing complexity and computational effort prevent practical application
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement device handles all complex operations including high-rate packet generation, timestamp insertion, and measurement calculation. This self-service approach allows the measurement device to operate at high packet rates using its own processing capabilities while the target node remains simple and does not become a bottleneck.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the need for complex mechanical/hardware timestamp generation at the target node with a software-based solution where timestamps are generated and processed entirely at the measurement device. This substitution enables high packet rates without requiring specialized hardware implementations at the target node.
3Measurement precision
If timestamps are generated by the reflector node in TWAMP, then two-way delay measurements can be calculated, but hardware implementation is critical and may not be feasible
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having the target node (reflector) generate timestamps as in traditional TWAMP, the invention inverts the approach by having the measurement device generate timestamps and then calculate measurements based on the round-trip time. This inversion eliminates the need for critical hardware timestamp generation at the target node while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The timestamp generation function is extracted from the target node and relocated to the measurement device. This extraction removes the requirement for specialized hardware at the target node, making the system easier to deploy in situations where the target node is outside the network operator's domain or cannot be modified.
4Measurement precision
If special protocols or hardware implementations are required at the target node, then accurate measurements can be obtained, but deployment flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement device is designed to be universally applicable with any target node in the network. By concentrating all special requirements at the measurement device and making the target node simple and generic, the system can be deployed flexibly anywhere in the network without requiring the target node to support special protocols or hardware modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
All special protocol support and hardware requirements are extracted from the target node and consolidated at the measurement device. This extraction enables deployment in diverse network environments including cases where the target node is outside the network operator's domain, significantly improving adaptability while maintaining measurement precision.
Data Source
AI summary
In a method for measurement of a round-trip performance in a packet-switched communication network, a measurement device cooperating with the communication network generates a flow of test packets formatted according to the network protocol supported by the network and comprising the address of the measurement device as destination address. The test packets are then transmitted within a tunnel set up in the network and the measurement device generates one or more transmission parameters. At the end of the tunnel, the test packets are extracted therefrom and sent back to the measurement device by the forwarding function of the network protocol supported by the network. Upon receipt of the test packets, it generates one or more reception parameters, which are then combined with the transmission parameters to provide the round-trip performance measurement.