System and method for providing sensor overlay networks

Abstract

A system and method for providing a sensor overlay network is disclosed. The system may comprise a control module configured to receive and respond to data requests; a forwarding module configured to receive a data request from at least one network element and forward a response to the data request to the at least one network element, wherein the data request is directed to a control module; and a sensor module, communicatively coupled to the forwarding module and control module, configured to emulate the control module by receiving and responding to the data request from the forwarding module and handle data traffic received from the forwarding module.

We claim: 
     
       1. A system, comprising:
 a computing device, communicatively coupled to a network, the computing device comprising: 
 one or more computer processors; 
 a control module stored in a memory and executed by the one or more computer processors, wherein the control module receives and responds to data requests; 
 a forwarding module stored in the memory and executed by the one or more computer processors, wherein the forwarding module:
 receives measurement traffic comprising a data request from one or more trace-routes, wherein the use of the one or more trace-routes identifies a traffic type associated with traffic received from at least one network element included in the network as measurement traffic; and 
 forwards a response to the data request to the at least one network element, and wherein the data request is directed to the control module; and 
 
 a sensor module stored in the memory and executed by the one or more computer processors, communicatively coupled to the forwarding module and the control module, wherein the sensor module:
 emulates the control module by at least receiving and responding to the data request and handling data received from the forwarding module so that the data is routed from the forwarding module to the sensor module; 
 creates an out-of-band sensor layer based at least in part on routing information from the control module, forming a sensor overlay network with dedicated paths for separation of the identified measurement traffic comprising the data request from other traffic for the network; and 
 filters, using at least one customizable filter, identified measurement traffic away from the other traffic that is forwarded to the control module, wherein the identified measurement traffic is based on an identified protocol; and 
 
 wherein the data request is a request for basic performance measurements, wherein the basic performance measurements can be functions of rate limiting, logging, sysloging, or forwarding to the control plane any sensor traffic that meets one or more profiles. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data request comprises at least one of an Internet Control Message Protocol (“ICMP”) message and User Datagram Protocol (“UDP”) message. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the network element is a provider-side network element. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3 , wherein the provider-side network element comprises at least one of a router, a server, a gateway, a network terminal, a computer processor, and a network. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the network element is a customer-side network element. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the customer-side network element comprising at least one of a router, a customer premises equipment (CPE), a server, a gateway, a network terminal, a computer processor, and a network. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor module is implemented within a dedicated sensor computer processing unit. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the identified protocol comprises Internet Control Message Protocol (“ICMP”). 
     
     
       9. A method, comprising:
 providing a control module stored in memory and executed by one or more computer processors configured to receive and respond to data requests; 
 providing a forwarding module stored in memory and executed by the one or more computer processors configured to:
 receive measurement traffic comprising a data request from one or more trace-routes, wherein the use of the one or more trace-routes identifies a traffic type associated with traffic received from at least one network element as measurement traffic; and 
 forward a response to the data request to the at least one network element included in a network, wherein the data request is directed to the control module; and 
 
 providing a sensor module stored in memory and executed by the one or more computer processors, communicatively coupled to the forwarding module and the control module, configured to:
 emulate the control module by at least receiving and responding to the data request and handling data received from the forwarding module so that the data is routed from the forwarding module to the sensor module; 
 create an out-of-band sensor layer based at least in part on routing information from the control module, forming a sensor overlay network with dedicated paths for separation of the identified measurement traffic comprising the data request from other traffic for the network; and 
 filter, using at least one customizable filter, identified measurement traffic away from the other traffic that is forwarded to the control module, wherein the identified measurement traffic is based on an identified protocol; and 
 
 wherein the data request is a request for basic performance measurements, wherein the basic performance measurements can be functions of rate limiting, logging, or forwarding to the control plane any sensor traffic that meets one or more profiles. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the data request comprises at least one of an Internet Control Message Protocol (“ICMP”) message and User Datagram Protocol (“UDP”) message. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the network element is a provider-side network element. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the provider-side network element comprises at least one of a router, a server, a gateway, a network terminal, a computer processor, and a network. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the network element is a customer-side network element. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the customer-side network element comprising at least one of a router, a customer premises equipment (CPE), a server, a gateway, a network terminal, a computer processor, and a network. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the sensor module is implemented within a dedicated sensor computer processing unit. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the identified protocol comprises Internet Control Message Protocol (“ICMP”). 
     
     
       17. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising code which when executed causes a computer to perform the method, comprising:
 providing a control module stored in memory and executed by one or more computer processors configured to receive and respond to data requests; 
 providing a forwarding module stored in memory and executed by the one or more computer processors configured to:
 receive measurement traffic comprising a data request from one or more trace-routes, wherein the use of the one or more trace-routes identifies a traffic type associated with traffic received from at least one network element as measurement traffic; and 
 forward a response to the data request to the at least one network element included in a network, wherein the data request is directed to the control module; and 
 
 providing a sensor module stored in memory and executed by the one or more computer processors, communicatively coupled to the forwarding module and the control module, configured to:
 emulate the control module by at least receiving and responding to the data request and handling data received from the forwarding module so that the data is routed from the forwarding module to the sensor module; 
 create an out-of-band sensor layer based at least in part on routing information from the control module, forming a sensor overlay network with dedicated paths for separation of the identified measurement traffic comprising the data request from other traffic for the network; 
 filter, using at least one customizable filter, identified measurement traffic away from the other traffic that is forwarded to the control module, wherein the identified measurement traffic is based on an identified protocol; and 
 
 wherein the data request is a request for basic performance measurements, wherein the basic performance measurements can be functions of rate limiting, logging, or forwarding to the control plane any sensor traffic that meets one or more profiles. 
 
     
     
       18. A system, comprising:
 a computing device, communicatively coupled to a network, the computing device comprising: 
 one or more computer processors; 
 a control module stored in at least one memory and executed by the one or more computer processors, wherein the control module receives and responds to data requests; 
 a forwarding module stored in the at least one memory and executed by the one or more computer processors, wherein the forwarding module:
 receives measurement traffic comprising a data request from one or more trace-routes, wherein the use of the one or more trace-routes identifies a traffic type associated with traffic received from at least one network element included in the network as measurement traffic; and 
 forwards a response to the data request to the at least one network element, and wherein the data request is directed to the control module; and 
 
 a sensor module stored in the at least one memory and executed by the one or more computer processors, communicatively coupled to the forwarding module and the control module, wherein the sensor module:
 emulates the control module by at least receiving and responding to the data request and handling data received from the forwarding module so that the data is routed from the forwarding module to the sensor module; 
 creates an out-of-band sensor layer based at least in part on routing information from the control module, forming a sensor overlay network with dedicated paths for separation of the identified measurement traffic comprising the data request from other traffic for the network; and 
 filters, using at least one customizable filter, identified measurement traffic away from the other traffic that is forwarded to the control module, wherein the identified measurement traffic is based on an identified protocol; and 
 wherein the data request is a request for basic performance measurements, wherein the basic performance measurements can be functions of rate limiting, logging, sysloging, or forwarding to the control plane any sensor traffic that meets one or more profiles.