Network General Technology

Mark Akselrod

King L Won

Paul W Cushman

Bakulesh A Mehta

A system and method for identifying and analyzing active channels in an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network. The system and method monitor an ATM network signal channel to identify setup, connect, and release messages which permit identification of active switched virtual circuits and the service type used for that active virtual circuit's traffic. The system and method also possess the simultaneous ability to open a plurality of ATM network channels during a time period; to automatically monitor each of the plurality of open channels to identify any active channels from among the open channels; and to automatically identify the type of traffic transmitted on the open channels. By systematically identifying the active channels in the ATM network, the ATM network analysis device can further analyze the traffic on the active channels. The present invention includes at least four functions: network data detection and capture, active channel determination, signaling message analysis, and ATM Application Layer (AAL) service type categorization. A network data detector and identifier (DDI) performs the functions of network data detection and capture. The DDI captures, copies, and repeats cells transmitted on the network and copies cells of interest to the DDI for further analysis. Active channel determination is performed by an active channel determinator (ACD). The ACD uses a user-defined total potential connection list which contains a range of channels to be tested for active channel identification. To identify active channels, the ACD opens a subset (block) of the channels in the total potential connection list, and in conjunction with the DDI, determines if any cells captured by the DDI correspond to any of the open channels in the block. If such cells are received, the ACD identifies the channel associated with the received cells as an active channel. After a time period, the ACD closes the open subset of channels, opens a new block of channels for the potential connection list and the process repeats until terminated.

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San Ramon, CA, United States of America

Mark Akselrod