Granted Patent B2

US 7,099,351 · App. 09/771,410 · Granted Aug 29, 2006

Abstract

Claims (39)

1. A method for determining network traffic flowing between a first region and a second region, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying two or more routers in the first region by determining a longitude and a latitude of the two or more routers in the first region;

identifying two or more routers in the second region by determining a longitude and latitude of the two or more routers in the second region;

identifying links that connect the identified two or more routers in the first region to the identified two or more routers in the second region, the step of identifying the links comprising the steps of:

retrieving information about topology of the two or more routers in the first and second regions;

selecting the two or more routers in the first region whose determined longitude and latitude are in predetermined areas of the first region;

selecting the two or more routers in the second region whose determined longitude and latitude are in predetermined areas of the second region; and

comparing the latitude and longitude of the selected two or more routers in the first and second regions with the retrieved topology information to identify links that connect the selected two or more routers in the first region to the selected two or more routers in the second region;

determining, at a processor remote from the two or more routers in the first and second regions, used bandwidth of the identified links over a period of time; and

determining the network traffic flowing between the first and second regions based on the determined used band width.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining the used bandwidth comprises the step of:

determining a plurality of used bandwidth samples of the identified links over the period of time.

3. A method for determining network traffic flowing between a first region and a second region, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying two or more routers n the first region;

identifying two of more routers in the second region;

identifying links that connect the identified two or more routers in the first region to the identified two or more routers in the second region;

determining, at a processor remote from the two or more routers in the first and second regions, used bandwidth of the identified links over a period of time; and

determining the network traffic flowing between the first and second regions based on the determined used bandwidth, the step of determining the network traffic comprising the steps of:

determining an average of a plurality of samples of the used bandwidth remotely determined by the processor; and

multiplying the determined average by the period of time to determine the network traffic flowing between the first and second regions.

4. A method for determining the traffic flowing through a first region and a second region, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying two or more routers in the first region,

identifying two or more routers in the second region;

identifying links that connect the identified two or more routers in the first region to the identified two or more routers in the second region;

determining, at a processor remote from the two or more routers in the first and second regions, used bandwidth of the identified links over a period of time; and

determining the network traffic flowing between the first and second regions based on the determined used bandwidth, the step of determining the network traffic comprises comprising the steps of:

estimating a total number of links connecting routers in the first region to routers in the second region; and

multiplying the estimated total number of links by the determined used bandwidth to determine the network traffic flowing between the first and second regions.

5. A method for determining network traffic within a region, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying a sample of hosts in the region, each sample including one or more servers;

identifying, at a processor remote from the sample host, last pairs of identifiable routers on respective routes from the processor to the sample hosts;

identifying respective links connecting the identified pairs of routers;

determining used bandwidth of the identified respective links; and

determining the network traffic within the region based on the determined used bandwidth by estimating a total number of hosts in the region and multiplying the estimated total number of hosts by the determined used bandwidth.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of identifying the last pairs of identifiable routers comprises the steps of:

invoking a traceroute program at the processor to identify routers on respective routes to the sample hosts; and

selecting pairs of the identified routers on the respective routes such that each selected pair has a shortest hop to a respective one of the sample hosts.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of determining the used bandwidth comprises the step of:

invoking a getbandwidth program at the processor to determine a plurality of used bandwidth samples for each of he identified respective links.

Assignments (8)