SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR A SIMULATED NETWORK TRAFFIC GENERATOR

1 . A system for generating network traffic in a simulated network environment comprising:

a computer network platform having hardware and software configured as a standalone configuration including a system control module and a memory;

a module configured for creating one or more network traffic patterns within the simulated network environment that replicates actual traffic patterns within a user's operating network environment, the created network traffic patterns network traffic between a plurality of network devices within the simulated network environment; and

an interface configured for receiving metadata regarding the one or more network traffic patterns and adding the received network traffic metadata to the associated network traffic patterns.

2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the module is communicatively connected to the simulated network environment and configured for generating simulated traffic within the simulated network environment from the created network traffic patterns.

3 . The system of claim 1 wherein the interface is a graphical user interface configured to receive the metadata for a network traffic pattern from a user and includes a traffic pattern editor enabling the user to select and configure the network traffic pattern, the traffic pattern editor configured for sorting, filtering and grouping the network traffic patterns based upon the traffic pattern metadata.

4 . The system of claim 1 wherein the interface is a logical interface configured to received the metadata for a network traffic pattern from a software application.

5 . The system of claim 1 wherein, further comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) communicatively connected to the interface of the computer network platform, the GUI being configured as an operating network administrator for controlling and monitoring the creation of the traffic patterns.

6 . The system of claim 5 wherein the GUI includes a traffic pattern editor configured for writing the traffic pattern into a standard XML file, and wherein the control module is configured for automatically generating unique attributes within each traffic pattern, the attributes including serial numbers that are unique and that are created by automatic incrementation of a global serial number listing, wherein the serial numbers are added to the XML file and stored within the memory, and wherein the traffic pattern editor includes the capability for deleting, removing, modifying and querying the traffic patterns stored in the memory.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a traffic scenario execution manager configured for starting a generation of simulated network traffic utilizing one or more of the created network traffic patterns.

8 . The system of claim 8 wherein the module is configured to generate a bot server module within a bot of a virtual network utilizing at least one of the created network traffic patterns.

9 . The system of claim 1 wherein the network traffic pattern includes network traffic between two or more network devices selected from the group consisting of web servers, email servers, DNS servers, firewalls, web proxies, file servers, exchange servers, network interfaces, network applications, and user workstations.

10 . The system of claim 1 wherein the module is configured to create a traffic profile utilizing one or more of the network traffic patterns, the traffic profile being a group of one or more network traffic patterns along with corresponding traffic profile metadata defining a relationship between one or more network traffic patterns of the traffic profile.

11 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising a traffic profile editor configured for grouping network traffic patterns together, and sorting and filtering the network traffic patterns based upon the traffic profile metadata.

12 . The system of claim 11 wherein the traffic profile editor is configured for creating the traffic profiles in XML format, and wherein the control module is configured to generate unique traffic profile attributes for each traffic profile that includes unique serial numbers for each traffic profile and to include the traffic profile attributes within the XML file of the traffic profile, and wherein the traffic profile editor includes the capability for deleting, removing, modifying and querying the traffic profiles.

13 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising a traffic scenario execution manager configured for starting a generation of network traffic in a simulated network utilizing one or more traffic profiles.

14 . The system of claim 11 wherein the module is configured to generate a bot server module within a bot of a virtual network utilizing at least one of the created traffic profiles.

15 . The system of claim 1 wherein the module is configured for creating a traffic scenario that includes a group of created traffic profiles and traffic scenario metadata.

16 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising a traffic scenario editor configured for grouping traffic profiles together to form traffic scenarios and sorting and filtering the traffic scenarios based upon the traffic scenario metadata.

17 . The system of claim 15 wherein the traffic scenario editor is configured for creating the traffic scenarios in XML format, and wherein the control module is configured to generate unique traffic scenario attributes for each traffic scenario that includes unique serial numbers for each traffic scenario and to include the traffic scenario attributes within the XML file of the traffic scenario, and wherein the traffic scenario editor includes the capability for deleting, removing, modifying and querying the traffic scenario profiles.

18 . The system of claim 19 , further comprising a traffic scenario manager configured for starting an automated traffic generation utilizing the traffic scenario.

19 . The system of claim 15 wherein the module is configured to generate a bot server module within a bot of a virtual network utilizing at least one of the created traffic scenarios.

20 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising a traffic scenario execution manager configured for starting a generation of network traffic in a simulated network utilizing one or more traffic scenarios.

21 . The system of claim 1 wherein the module is configured for creating network traffic patterns includes one or more network traffic protocols selected from the group consisting of DNS requests and DNS responses, HTTP requests and responses, and requests and responses for streaming media (RTSP).

22 . The system of claim 1 wherein the module is configured for creating network traffic patterns having three or more distinct communications between a simulated user and multiple servers within the simulated network.

23 . The system of claim 1 wherein the module is configured for creating network traffic patterns having a series of requests/responses of a simulated user accessing a plurality of web sites over time.

24 . The system of claim 1 wherein the module is configured for creating network traffic patterns including a plurality of traffic having varying durations and varying separation periods.

25 . A system for generating network traffic in a simulated network environment comprising:

a computer network platform having hardware and software configured as a standalone configuration including a system control module and a memory;

a module configured for creating one or more network traffic patterns within the simulated network environment that replicates actual traffic patterns within a user's operating network environment, the created network traffic patterns network traffic between a plurality of network devices within the simulated network environment

the module also being configured for creating a traffic profile utilizing one or more of the network traffic patterns, the traffic profile being a group of one or more network traffic patterns along with corresponding traffic profile metadata defining a relationship between one or more network traffic patterns of the traffic profile; and

an interface configured for receiving metadata regarding the one or more network traffic patterns and adding the received network traffic metadata to the associated network traffic patterns, and for receiving the traffic profile metadata and adding the traffic profile metadata to the traffic profile.

26 . A system for generating network traffic in a simulated network environment comprising:

a computer network platform having hardware and software configured as a standalone configuration including a system control module and a memory;

a module configured for creating one or more network traffic patterns within the simulated network environment that replicates actual traffic patterns within a user's operating network environment, the created network traffic patterns network traffic between a plurality of network devices within the simulated network environment, the module also being configured for creating a traffic profile utilizing one or more of the network traffic patterns, the traffic profile being a group of one or more network traffic patterns along with corresponding traffic profile metadata defining a relationship between one or more network traffic patterns of the traffic profile, the module further being configured for creating a traffic scenario that includes a group of created traffic profiles and traffic scenario metadata; and

an interface configured for receiving metadata regarding the one or more network traffic patterns and adding the received network traffic metadata to the associated network traffic patterns, for receiving the traffic profile metadata and adding the traffic profile metadata to the traffic profile, and for receiving the traffic scenario metadata and adding the traffic scenario metadata to the traffic scenario.