System, apparatus, procedure, and computer program product for planning and simulating an internet protocol network

Abstract

A procedure for evaluating a network, and a system, apparatus, and computer program that operate in accordance with the procedure. The procedure includes aggregating packet information from one or more sources in a network, and executing a correlation algorithm to determine traffic flow information based on the packet information. The aggregating includes obtaining information from a header of a packet being communicated in the network, in one example embodiment. In another example, the executing includes tracing a traffic flow from a source node to a destination node, and the tracing includes determining, based on the packet information, each link by which the traffic flow is communicated from the source node to the destination node.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A method for determining traffic flows in a communication network, comprising:
 generating a map of the communication network;   determining at least one of a source node and a destination node of a traffic flow in the communication network;   determining a volume of traffic for individual traffic flows for at least one communication path of the communication network; and   tracing traffic flows along possible paths in the communication network.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the generating is based on information representing a topology of components of the communication network. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the components include at least one of a communication link or a network element. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the tracing traces the traffic flows from the source node to the destination node along all the possible paths in the communication network. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising matching traffic volumes for each traffic flow. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the matching of the traffic volumes is performed for each traffic flow from link to link of the communication network. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the method is performed by an analytics server. 
     
     
         30 . A method for determining traffic flows in a communication network, comprising:
 determining whether any traffic flows in traffic flow pathways of the communication network begin or end at a particular node;   for any traffic flows determined to begin or end at the particular node, logging information representing a bandwidth associated with any such traffic flows; and   determining whether one or more of the traffic flows determined to begin or end at the particular node is bifurcated, based on the information logged in the logging.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising determining whether an end of flow has been reached for at least one of the traffic flows. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising selecting, from a list of nodes and links of the communication network, the particular node and a link having the particular node as an endpoint. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the determining of whether any traffic flows in the communication network begin or end at the particular node is performed based on packet information. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising comparing at least one node identifier to an identifier of the particular node. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the at least one node identifier includes an identifier of a source node and an identifier of a destination node. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , further comprising determining whether a traffic flow begins or ends at the particular node, based on a result of the comparing. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the information also represents at least one of a source node, destination node, and the traffic flow pathways for any traffic flows determined to begin or end at the particular node. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 determining whether any other traffic flows in the communication network has an endpoint at the particular node; and
 for any other traffic flows determined to have an endpoint at the particular node, logging information representing at least one of a bandwidth, source node, destination node, and a traffic flow pathway for each of the other traffic flows. 
   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein determining whether one or more of the traffic flows is bifurcated includes comparing the bandwidth of one of the traffic flows to the bandwidth of another one of the traffic flows. 
     
     
         40 . A system for determining traffic flows in a communication network, comprising:
 a memory storing a program; and   a processor operating under control of the program for:
 generating a map of the communication network; 
 determining at least one of a source node and a destination node of a traffic flow in the communication network; 
 determining a volume of traffic for individual traffic flows for at least one communication path of the communication network; and 
 tracing traffic flows along possible paths in the communication network. 
   
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 40 , wherein the generating is based on information representing a topology of components of the communication network. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 41 , wherein the components include at least one of a communication link or a network element. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 40 , wherein the tracing traces the traffic flows from the source node to the destination node along all the possible paths in the communication network. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 40 , wherein the processor also operates under control of the program for matching traffic volumes for each traffic flow, and the matching of the traffic volumes is performed for each traffic flow from link to link of the communication network. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 40 , wherein the system is an analytics server. 
     
     
         46 . A system for determining traffic flows in a communication network, comprising:
 a memory storing a program; and   a processor, operating under control of the program for:
 determining whether any traffic flows in traffic flow pathways of the communication network begin or end at a particular node; 
 for any traffic flows determined to begin or end at the particular node, logging information representing a bandwidth associated with any such traffic flows; and 
 determining whether one or more of the traffic flows determined to begin or end at the particular node is bifurcated, based on the information logged in the logging. 
   
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 46 , wherein the processor also operates under control of the program for comparing at least one node identifier to an identifier of the particular node. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the at least one node identifier includes an identifier of a source node and an identifier of a destination node. 
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the processor also operates under control of the program for determining whether a traffic flow begins or ends at the particular node, based on a result of the comparing.