Spirent Communications, Inc.

Jyotikumar U Menon

The disclosed technology teaches testing a mesh network using new service application level KPIs that extend the TWAMP measurement architecture. A control-client receives and parses a configuration file to populate memory with IP addresses, ports, and test session parameters for disclosed KPIs used to originate two-way test sessions from a first network host; with control-servers and session-reflectors. The method extends the receiving, parsing and originating to dozens to thousands of control-clients, by sending to the control-clients configuration files to originate respective test sessions with control-servers in a mesh network using respective test session parameters; and while the test is running, sending an updated configuration file to at least one control-client that introduces a new control-server or replaces a control-server; and expanding the test to include the new or replacement control-server without stopping or restarting TW test sessions with other control-servers; and monitoring the running test sessions and receiving results.

Key performance indicators (KPI) for tracking and correcting problems for a network-under-test

The disclosed technology teaches TCP session processing architecture for conducting numerous TCP sessions during testing of a network-under-test: multiple processor cores running, allocated to TCP session handling, and program instructions configured to distribute processing of each TCP session across multiple cores with a first set of cores allocated to handle TCP control, a second set of cores allocated to handle TCP packet transmission, and a third set of cores allocated to handle TCP packet receiving. The disclosed architecture also includes a shared memory accessible to the first, second and third sets of cores, that holds PCBs for each of numerous TCP sessions during the testing with update access controlled by an atomic spinlock processor instruction that each TCP state machine running on a core must engage to secure the update access to a respective PCB, in order to proceed with state processing of its respective TCP session.

Enhancing transmission control protocol (TCP) performance and scalability on multicore processor architectures

The disclosed methods for reducing the port setup time for a large number of TWAMP test sessions for performance measurement testing of telecommunication transport networks include parsing a configuration file to populate an accept-port data structure with proposed receiver ports for communication from a session-sender to session-reflectors; repeatedly and in parallel, from a control client, communicating with receiving servers to set up pairwise test sessions using receiver port allocations from the accept-port data structure, and receiving and checking blocks of Accept-Session messages from the receiving server and handling either case of acceptance of the proposed receiver port or of counter proposal of an alternate-and-available port to be used for the measurement session; and allocating the alternate-and-available port and updating the accept-port data structure by storing the alternate-and-available port received in the particular Accept-Session message; and using the stored ports to initiate TWAMP messages in the pairwise test sessions.

Acceleration of node configuration for TWAMP with a large number of test sessions

The disclosed methods and systems of using TWAMP measurement architecture for testing a large network include a control-client running on a first network host initializing memory for test session parameters used to originate a test, parsing a configuration file to populate the memory with IP addresses, ports and QoS parameters for control-servers and session-reflectors; and originating test sessions using the test session parameters. The method includes extending to thousands of control-clients, each originating respective test sessions with control-servers in a mesh network using respective test session parameters; and while the test is running, optionally sending an updated configuration file to at least one control-client that introduces a new control-server or replaces a control-server; and the control-client parsing the updated configuration file and updating memory to include the new control-server IP address, port numbers and QoS parameters; and expanding the test and monitoring the running test sessions for results.

Scalability, fault tolerance and fault management for TWAMP with a large number of test sessions

A transmission control protocol (TCP) session processing architecture for conducting numerous TCP sessions during testing of a network-under-test: multiple processor cores running, allocated to TCP session handling, and program instructions configured to distribute processing of each TCP session across multiple cores with a first set of cores allocated to handle TCP control, a second set of cores allocated to handle TCP packet transmission, and a third set of cores allocated to handle TCP packet receiving. The TCP session processing architecture also includes a shared memory accessible to the first, second and third sets of cores, that holds PCBs for each of numerous TCP sessions during the testing with update access controlled by an atomic spinlock processor instruction that each TCP state machine running on a core must engage to secure the update access to a respective PCB, in order to proceed with state processing of its respective TCP session.

A method, system and computer program product for calculating a scaled quality indicator expressing a quality of experience for streaming media, includes calculating network characteristics of packet loss rate of the streaming media, calculating network characteristics of packet jitter of the streaming media, and calculating the scaled quality indicator based on the calculated packet loss rate and the calculated packet jitter.

Growing community of inventors

Clarksburg, MD, United States of America

Jyotikumar U Menon