Stateless Router Timestamping for Hop-Wise Delay Inference
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies face challenges in efficiently calculating hop-wise delays and round trip times for IP traffic in complex networks due to the resource-intensive and complicated nature of maintaining TCP states, which becomes particularly challenging at line traffic speeds.
Innovation Solution
A distributed stateless mechanism that uses timestamp values from routers to calculate hop-wise delays and round trip times by analyzing TCP handshake segments, allowing for dynamic adjustment of timestamp frequency based on packet data, and providing precise network performance measurements without requiring stateful tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If stateful TCP tracking methods are used to calculate RTT and hop-wise delays, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and resource consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential timing information (timestamps) from the full TCP state tracking process. Instead of maintaining complete TCP connection states, the system extracts timestamp values from packet headers and uses these extracted timestamps to calculate RTT and hop-wise delays, significantly reducing complexity while preserving measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy of the measurement process that operates independently of full TCP state management. By using timestamp stamps embedded in packets and processing them through a simplified stateless infrastructure, the system produces accurate RTT and delay measurements without requiring complex stateful tracking infrastructure
2Measurement precision
If stateful TCP tracking is implemented at line traffic speed, then measurement accuracy is improved, but processing speed and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the necessary timestamp data from packets rather than processing complete TCP streams. This extraction approach allows the system to operate at line traffic speeds by processing only the essential timing information (timestamps) rather than maintaining full connection state for every packet
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical stateful tracking mechanism with a stateless timestamp-based calculation system. Instead of maintaining and updating TCP connection states in memory, the system uses simple timestamp arithmetic on extracted packet data, enabling high-speed processing at line rate while maintaining measurement accuracy
3Adaptability or versatility
If comprehensive network monitoring is deployed to measure all IP traffic, then measurement coverage is improved, but loss of energy and resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts timing information only from packets that require measurement, rather than continuously monitoring all traffic with full stateful tracking. By extracting and processing only the essential timestamp data from relevant packets, the system achieves comprehensive measurement coverage with significantly reduced energy and computational resources
Data Source
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AI summary
In an embodiment, a computer implemented method for determining network delay values comprises receiving, by a management server that is communicatively coupled via one or more networks or internetworks to a first router and a second router, two or more first timestamp values from the first router at first times at which two or more packets associated with a particular packet flow are received at the first router; receiving by the management server two or more second timestamp values from the second router at second times at which the same two or more packets associated with the same particular packet flow are received at the second router; determining one or more of: a one-way delay time in which the particular packet flow travels between the first router and the second router based on the first timestamp values and the second timestamp values; an inferred round-trip time.