System and method for accurately displaying communications traffic information

Abstract

A system and method uses path information to project traffic information from flow- or IPFix-type messages onto one or more paths that may have been taken by packets corresponding to such messages. Traffic information from a message is projected from the router interface from which the message was received, along the path or paths the packets corresponding to the message may have taken, but only to the next router interface that provides such messages.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of displaying traffic information for a network, comprising:
 receiving routing information for the network;   receiving a plurality of traffic information for the network from a plurality of interfaces of a plurality of routers in the network, the traffic information comprising a plurality of messages each describing at least one packet that transited the network, at least one message describing a packet different from at least one other message;   identifying at least one path for each of at least a plurality at least one of the messages, the path for a message starting from at least nearby the router interface from which said message was received; and   projecting information from at least some of the messages onto at least one data structure representing each of said path identified for said message, such that, for at least one of the messages projected, any effects said projection of said message go not farther than a different router interface from which a different message was received.   
     
     
         2 . A system for displaying traffic information for a network, comprising:
 a routing message manager having an input coupled for receiving routing information for the network, the routing message manager for providing at an output the routing information;   a flow/ipfix message manager having an input coupled for receiving a plurality of traffic information for the network from a plurality of interfaces of a plurality of routers in the network, the traffic information comprising a plurality of messages each describing at least one packet that transited the network, at least one message describing a packet different from at least one other message, the flow/ipfix message manager for providing at an output the traffic information;   a path identification manager having an input coupled to the routing message manager output and to the flow/ipfix message manager output, for identifying and providing at an output at least one path for each of at least a plurality of the messages, the path for a message starting from at least nearby the router interface from which said message was received; and   a projection manager having an input coupled to the path identification manager output for receiving at least one of the at least one path, and to the flow/ipfix message manager for receiving at least some of the traffic information, the projection manager for projecting via an output, information from at least some of the messages onto at least one data structure representing the each of said path identified for said message, such that, for at least one of the messages projected, any effects said projection of said message go not farther than a different router interface from which a different message was received.   
     
     
         3 . A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for displaying traffic information for a network, the computer program product comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer system to:
 receive routing information for the network;   receive a plurality of traffic information for the network from a plurality of interfaces of a plurality of 10 routers in the network, the traffic information comprising a plurality of messages each describing at least one packet that transited the network, at least one message describing a packet different from at least one other message;   identify at least one path for each of at least a plurality of the messages, the path for a message starting from at least nearby the router interface from which said message was received; and   project information from at least some of the messages onto at least one data structure representing the each of said path identified for said message, such that, for at least one of the messages projected, any effects said projection of said message go not farther than a different router interface from which a different message was received.