Intelligent realtime monitoring of data traffic

Abstract

The invention features a system and method to enable real-time establishment and maintenance of a standard of operation for a data communications network. The standard is a data set which includes network activity which is historically categorized by traffic type and by activity. The process begins with monitoring the network media or some network component over some period of time. The monitoring information is used to build benchmark data sets. The benchmark data sets contain a standard of operation for the network, which are historically categorized by either traffic type or activity. This standard of operation is constantly built by the intelligent monitoring facilities. After some period of time which is referred to as the benchmark data set refresh interval, the benchmark that was created is employed in a fashion to allow a determination as to whether the data that is taken from the current monitoring activity indicates normal network behavior. If the current network operating characteristics are outside the bounds or normal behavior, then alerts and logs of information can be sent to the expert system. The expert system can then effect some network control. In this manner, auto benchmarking is accomplished with self customization.