Virtual Responder for Accurate Network Performance Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network performance measurement tools, such as those used for service-level agreements, face inaccuracies due to high forwarding loads on real responders and potential failures, which can lead to unreliable packet latency and jitter measurements.
Innovation Solution
A virtual responder system that selects and provides contact information for real responders based on metrics like forwarding load, memory, and CPU usage, ensuring accurate and reliable network performance measurements by dynamically assigning the best available real responder for measurement tests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If real responders are used for network performance measurement, then measurement functionality is provided, but measurement accuracy deteriorates due to high forwarding loads and potential failures
Solution Approach 1:
A virtual responder is introduced as an intermediary between senders and real responders. The virtual responder receives measurement requests, selects appropriate real responders based on current performance metrics, and coordinates the measurement process. This mediator approach isolates senders from the complexity of multiple real responders while ensuring measurements are taken from optimally selected responders, thereby maintaining measurement accuracy even when individual real responders experience high loads or failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors performance metrics of real responders and uses this feedback to dynamically select the most suitable real responder for each measurement request. The virtual responder polls real responders for metrics such as forwarding load, memory availability, and CPU usage, then selects responders based on current conditions. This feedback mechanism ensures that measurements are consistently obtained from responders in optimal states, improving measurement reliability and accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If multiple real responders are monitored for optimal selection, then measurement accuracy improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple real responders are merged into a single virtual responder entity from the sender's perspective. The virtual responder consolidates the functionality of multiple real responders and presents a unified interface to senders. This merging approach maintains the benefits of having multiple monitored responders for accurate measurement selection while simplifying the system architecture by providing a single point of contact, thereby reducing operational complexity despite the underlying complexity of managing multiple real responders.
Data Source
AI summary
Particular embodiments provide a virtual responder that can be contacted by any number of senders. When a sender wants to perform a measurement test with a real responder, the sender sends a control message to a virtual responder. The virtual responder is configured to determine a real responder based on real responder selection metrics. The virtual responder may poll the real responders at certain times to receive the real responder selection metrics. The virtual responder then selects a real responder from a plurality of real responders based on the real responder's selection metrics. The virtual responder then sends contact information for the selected real responder to the sender device. This allows the sender device to contact the selected real responder to perform the measurement test with a real responder.