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US5881237A
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Methods, systems and computer program products for test scenario based communications network performance testing
Assignee: Ixia
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Filing: 1996-09-10
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Granted: 1999-03-09
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Expires: 2016-09-10
Abstract
Abstract Communications network performance is tested utilizing a test scenario simulating actual communications traffic on the network to be tested. A console node is provided on the network for establishing the test scenario and assigning the test scenario to endpoint nodes on the network to be tested. Each endpoint node is assigned an endpoint node specific test protocol. Execution of the test protocols by the endpoint nodes is initiated by the console node. Performance data such as throughput, transaction rate and response time may be monitored at selected ones of the endpoint nodes and reported to the console node either as it is generated or after completion of the test. The test scenario may be terminated when all endpoint node specific test protocols have completed execution or when any one endpoint completes execution of its test protocol. Multiple network protocols may be utilized within a single test scenario. Each endpoint node specific test protocol includes an associated script representing a type of applications traffic such as a credit check, or a database update. Endpoint nodes execute tests as applications level programs on existing endpoint nodes on the network to be tested allowing testing of networks using actual protocol stacks independent of the applications programs available on existing endpoint nodes.
Inventors
- 👤 Peter James Schwaller
- 👤 II John Quillian Walker
- 👤 Steven Thomas Joyce
- 👤 Timothy Scott Huntley
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 18:45
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L43/00; H04L43/50; H04L41/00; H04L41/14; H04L41/145; H04L41/50; H04L41/5003; H04L41/5009; H04L43/08; H04L43/0876; H04L43/0888
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 45
Claim 1
Independent Claim
125 words
A method for testing the performance of a communications network including a plurality of endpoint nodes comprising the steps of: adding a console node to the network; defining a test scenario to simulate communications traffic between the endpoint nodes to be tested including selecting a plurality of endpoint nodes for the test scenario and defining endpoint information including an endpoint node specific test protocol for each of the selected endpoint nodes; communicating the endpoint information over the network from the console node to the selected endpoint nodes; initiating execution of the endpoint node specific test protocols on the selected endpoint nodes from the console node; and, monitoring the performance of the network while the endpoint node specific test protocols are executed to obtain performance data.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
125 words
A method for testing the performance of a communications network including a plurality of endpoint nodes comprising the steps of: adding a console node to the network; defining a test scenario to simulate communications traffic between the endpoint nodes to be tested including selecting a plurality of endpoint nodes for the test scenario and defining endpoint information including an endpoint node specific test protocol for each of the selected endpoint nodes; communicating the endpoint information over the network from the console node to the selected endpoint nodes; initiating execution of the endpoint node specific test protocols on the selected endpoint nodes from the console node; and, monitoring the performance of the network while the endpoint node specific test protocols are executed to obtain performance data.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method for testing performance of a communications network according to claim 1 wherein the network is a computer network and wherein the console node resides on a computer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method for testing performance of a communications network according to claim 2 wherein the console node is executed as an applications level program on a computer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method for testing performance of a communications network according to claim 2 wherein at least two of the plurality of endpoint nodes reside in a single computer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method for testing performance of a communications network according to claim 2 wherein said initiating step includes the step of synchronizing initiating the execution on the selected endpoint nodes of the endpoint node specific test protocols.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method for testing performance of a communications network according to claim 2 wherein said step of defining a test scenario is preceded by the step of detecting the communications capabilities of at least one of the endpoint nodes from the console node.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method for testing performance of a communications network according to claim 2 wherein said step of defining a test scenario is preceded by the step of detecting active protocol stacks on at least one of the endpoint nodes from the console node.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method for testing performance of a communications network according to claim 2 wherein said monitoring step is followed by the step of terminating execution of all the endpoint node specific test protocols when one of the endpoint node specific test protocols completes execution.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method for testing performance of a communications network according to claim 2 wherein said monitoring step is followed by the step of analyzing the monitored performance data to generate performance measurements selected from the group consisting of throughput, transaction rate and response time.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method for testing performance of a communications network according to claim 9 wherein the generated performance measurements are selected from the group consisting of throughput and transaction rate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
68 words
A method for testing performance of a communications network according to claim 2 wherein the endpoint node specific test protocols include information selected from the group consisting of a type of data to transmit, how many times to transmit the data, what portion of the endpoint node specific test protocols to time during execution, and what acknowledgment to receive during execution of the endpoint node specific test protocols.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method for testing performance of a communications network according to claim 11 wherein the endpoint information includes a network protocol.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
59 words
A method for testing performance of a communications network according to claim 2 wherein a plurality of said endpoint node specific test protocols include a test protocol script selected from the group consisting of credit check, database update, file transfer, inquiry and packet transmit and wherein a plurality of different test protocol scripts are included in said test scenario.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
181 words
A method for testing performance of a communications network including a plurality of endpoint nodes comprising the steps of: determining a type of application communication traffic expected on the communications network; adding a console node to the network; defining a test scenario to simulate the expected type of application communication traffic between the endpoint nodes to be tested including selecting a plurality of endpoint nodes for the test scenario and defining endpoint information including an endpoint node specific test protocol for each of the selected endpoint nodes; communicating the endpoint information over the network from the console node to the selected endpoint nodes; initiating execution of the endpoint node specific test protocols on the selected endpoint nodes from the console node; monitoring the performance of the network at at least one of the selected endpoint nodes while the endpoint node specific test protocols are executed; terminating execution of all the endpoint node specific test protocols when one of the endpoint node specific test protocols completes execution; and, then reporting the monitored performance data from said monitoring step to the console node.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
181 words
A method for testing performance of a communications network including a plurality of endpoint nodes comprising the steps of: determining a type of application communication traffic expected on the communications network; adding a console node to the network; defining a test scenario to simulate the expected type of application communication traffic between the endpoint nodes to be tested including selecting a plurality of endpoint nodes for the test scenario and defining endpoint information including an endpoint node specific test protocol for each of the selected endpoint nodes; communicating the endpoint information over the network from the console node to the selected endpoint nodes; initiating execution of the endpoint node specific test protocols on the selected endpoint nodes from the console node; monitoring the performance of the network at at least one of the selected endpoint nodes while the endpoint node specific test protocols are executed; terminating execution of all the endpoint node specific test protocols when one of the endpoint node specific test protocols completes execution; and, then reporting the monitored performance data from said monitoring step to the console node.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method for testing performance of a communications network according to claim 14 wherein said reporting step is followed by the step of removing invalid results from said reported monitored performance data.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method for testing performance of a communications network according to claim 14 wherein said reporting step is followed by the step of analyzing the reported monitored performance data to generate performance measurements.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
145 words
A communications network performance testing system for testing a communications network including a plurality of endpoint nodes and a console node comprising: means for defining a test scenario to simulate communications traffic between said endpoint nodes to be tested including selecting a plurality of said endpoint nodes for said test scenario and defining endpoint information including an endpoint node specific test protocol for each of said selected endpoint nodes; means operatively connected to said means for defining for communicating said endpoint information over said network from said console node to said selected endpoint nodes; means operatively connected to said network for initiating execution of said endpoint node specific test protocols on said selected endpoint nodes from said console node; and means operatively connected to said network for monitoring performance of said network while said endpoint node specific test protocols are executed to obtain performance data.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
145 words
A communications network performance testing system for testing a communications network including a plurality of endpoint nodes and a console node comprising: means for defining a test scenario to simulate communications traffic between said endpoint nodes to be tested including selecting a plurality of said endpoint nodes for said test scenario and defining endpoint information including an endpoint node specific test protocol for each of said selected endpoint nodes; means operatively connected to said means for defining for communicating said endpoint information over said network from said console node to said selected endpoint nodes; means operatively connected to said network for initiating execution of said endpoint node specific test protocols on said selected endpoint nodes from said console node; and means operatively connected to said network for monitoring performance of said network while said endpoint node specific test protocols are executed to obtain performance data.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
A communications network performance testing system according to claim 17 where in said network is a computer network and wherein said console node resides on a computer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
24 words
A communications network performance testing system according to claim 18 wherein said console node is executed as an applications level program on said computer.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
25 words
A communications network performance testing system according to claim 18 wherein at least two of said plurality of endpoint nodes reside in a single computer.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
33 words
A communications network performance testing system according to claim 18 wherein said means for initiating includes means for synchronizing initiating execution on said selected endpoint nodes of said endpoint node specific test protocols.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
31 words
A communications network performance testing system according to claim 18 further including means operatively connected to said network for detecting a communications capability of at least one of said endpoint nodes.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
31 words
A communications network performance testing system according to claim 18 further including means operatively connected to said network for detecting active protocol stacks on at least one of said endpoint nodes.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
36 words
A communications network performance testing system according to claim 18 further comprising means for terminating execution of all of said endpoint node specific test protocols when one of said endpoint node specific test protocols completes execution.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
35 words
A communications network performance testing system according to claim 18 wherein said means for monitoring includes means for receiving said performance data from at least one of said selected endpoint nodes at said console node.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
42 words
A communications network performance testing system according to claim 25 further including means operatively associated with said means for monitoring for analyzing said received performance data to generate performance measurements selected from the group consisting of throughput, transaction rate and response time.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
25 words
A communications network performance testing system according to claim 26 wherein said performance measurements are selected from the group consisting of throughput and transaction rate.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
65 words
A communications network performance testing system according to claim 18 wherein said endpoint node specific test protocols include information selected from the group consisting of a type of data to transmit, how many times to transmit said data, what portion of said endpoint node specific test protocols to time during execution, and what acknowledgment to receive during execution of said endpoint node specific test protocols.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
18 words
A communications network performance testing system according to claim 28 wherein said endpoint information includes a network protocol.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
56 words
A communications network performance testing system according to claim 18 wherein a plurality of said endpoint node specific test protocols include a test protocol script selected from the group consisting of credit check, database update, file transfer, inquiry and packet transmit and wherein a plurality of different test protocol scripts are included in said test scenario.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
178 words
A computer program product for testing performance of a communications network including a plurality of endpoint nodes and a console node, the computer program product comprising: a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising: computer-readable program code means for defining a test scenario to simulate communications traffic between said endpoint nodes to be tested including selecting a plurality of endpoint nodes for said test scenario and defining endpoint information including an endpoint node specific test protocol for each of said selected endpoint nodes; computer-readable code means operatively connected to said computer-readable code means for defining for communicating said endpoint information over said network from said console node to said selected endpoint nodes; computer-readable code means operatively connected to said network for initiating execution of said endpoint node specific test protocols on said selected endpoint nodes from said console node; and computer-readable code means operatively connected to said network for monitoring performance of said network while said endpoint node specific test protocols are executed to obtain performance data.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
178 words
A computer program product for testing performance of a communications network including a plurality of endpoint nodes and a console node, the computer program product comprising: a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising: computer-readable program code means for defining a test scenario to simulate communications traffic between said endpoint nodes to be tested including selecting a plurality of endpoint nodes for said test scenario and defining endpoint information including an endpoint node specific test protocol for each of said selected endpoint nodes; computer-readable code means operatively connected to said computer-readable code means for defining for communicating said endpoint information over said network from said console node to said selected endpoint nodes; computer-readable code means operatively connected to said network for initiating execution of said endpoint node specific test protocols on said selected endpoint nodes from said console node; and computer-readable code means operatively connected to said network for monitoring performance of said network while said endpoint node specific test protocols are executed to obtain performance data.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
36 words
A computer program product according to claim 31 wherein said computer-readable code means for initiating includes computer-readable code means for synchronizing initiating the execution on said selected endpoint nodes of said endpoint node specific test protocols.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
29 words
A computer program product according to claim 31 further including computer-readable code means for detecting a communications capability of at least one of said endpoint nodes over said network.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
29 words
A computer program product according to claim 31 further including computer-readable code means for detecting active communication stacks on at least one of said endpoint nodes over said network.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
36 words
A computer program product according to claim 31 further comprising computer-readable code means for terminating execution of all of said endpoint node specific test protocols when one of said endpoint node specific test protocols completes execution.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
37 words
A computer program product according to claim 31 wherein said computer-readable code means for monitoring includes computer-readable code means for receiving said performance data from at least one of said selected endpoint nodes at said console node.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
44 words
A computer program product according to claim 36 further including computer-readable code means operatively associated with said computer-readable code means for monitoring for analyzing said received performance data to generate performance measurements selected from the group consisting of throughput, transaction rate and response time.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
23 words
A computer program product according to claim 37 wherein said performance measurements are selected from the group consisting of throughput and transaction rate.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
63 words
A computer program product according to claim 31 wherein said endpoint node specific test protocols include information selected from the group consisting of a type of data to transmit, how many times to transmit said data, what portion of said endpoint node specific test protocols to time during execution, and what acknowledgment to receive during execution of said endpoint node specific test protocols.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
16 words
A computer program product according to claim 39 wherein said endpoint information includes a network protocol.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
54 words
A computer program product according to claim 31 wherein a plurality of said endpoint node specific test protocols include a test protocol script selected from the group consisting of credit check, database update, file transfer, inquiry and packet transmit and wherein a plurality of different test protocol scripts are included in said test scenario.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-03-08 | 2002-09-07 | 2003-03-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-03-08 | 2006-09-07 | 2007-03-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-03-08 | 2010-09-07 | 2011-03-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |