Measurement of packet processing time of end hosts through estimation of end link capacity
View Patent ↗Technologies are generally described for measuring packet processing time of a remotely connected host device. According to some examples, link capacity may be measured to estimate the packet processing time (PPT). The capacity of the link connected to a host may be measured through active probing with the hosts time-stamping each probing packet after receiving it. Thus, PPT information may be included in the packet receiving process and the processes that the packet undergoes defined by the nature of different computing applications, time-stamping a packet is an example of a process that involves processing time.
1. A method to measure packet processing time of end hosts through estimation of end link capacity, the method comprising:
transmitting a compound probe comprising two or more packets from a source host to a destination host;
enabling the compound probe to be time-stamped at each host after being received; and
estimating the packet processing time based on one or more of time-stamp values of the compound probe and a linear relationship between one or more intra-probe packet gaps and packet sizes of respective compound probe packets, wherein the one or more intra-probe packet gaps are determined based on a comparison of the time-stamp values.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting the two or more packets in the compound probe of different sizes.
3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising:
selecting the sizes of the two or more packets to define properties of dispersion gaps.
4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
offsetting the estimated packet processing time by a constant value based on a type of the destination host.
5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
repeatedly transmitting the compound probe and estimating the packet processing time under different network path conditions.
6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
repeatedly transmitting the compound probe and estimating the packet processing time under high network congestion conditions.
7. A computing device to measure packet processing time of end hosts through estimation of end link capacity, the computing device comprising:
a communication module configured to communicate with a plurality of other computing devices over one or more networks; and
a processor coupled to the communication module and configured to execute a packet processing time (PPT) estimation module, wherein the PPT estimation module is configured to:
cooperate with the communication module to transmit a compound probe comprising a train of probe packets from a source host to a destination host;
enable the probe packets to be time-stamped at each host after being received; and
estimate the PPT based on one or more of time-stamp values of the probe packets and a linear relationship between one or more intra-probe packet gaps and packet sizes of respective probe packets, wherein the one or more intra-probe packet gaps are determined based on a comparison of the time-stamp values.
8. The computing device according to claim 7 , wherein the PPT estimation module is further configured to:
select the probe packet sizes to define properties of dispersion gaps.
9. The computing device according to claim 7 , wherein the PPT estimation module is further configured to:
estimate the end link capacity based on measurement of the one or more intra-probe packet gaps.
10. The computing device according to claim 7 , wherein the PPT estimation module is further configured to:
offset the estimated PPT by a constant value based on a type of the destination host.
11. The computing device according to claim 7 , wherein the PPT estimation module is further configured to:
estimate the PPT over a plurality of multiple-hop network paths.
12. The computing device according to claim 7 , wherein the PPT estimation module is further configured to cooperate with the communication module to:
repeatedly transmit the compound probe and estimate the PPT under different network path conditions.
13. The computing device according to claim 7 , wherein the computing device is a network management server.
14. The computing device according to claim 7 , wherein the source host and the destination host are one of a user end device, a workstation, or a server.
15. A computer-readable storage medium with instructions stored thereon to measure packet processing time of end hosts through estimation of end link capacity, the instructions in response to execution by a processor being able to cause a method to be performed, wherein the method comprises:
transmitting a compound probe comprising two or more packets from a source host to a destination host;
enabling the compound probe to be time-stamped at each host after being received; and
estimating the packet processing time based on one or more of time-stamp values of the compound probe and a linear relationship between one or more intra-probe packet gaps and packet sizes of respective compound probe packets, wherein the one or more intra-probe packet gaps are determined based on a comparison of the time-stamp values.
16. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
selecting the two or more packets in the compound probe of different sizes.
17. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the probe packets arrive at the destination host with a zero-dispersion gap and the method further comprises:
estimating the end link capacity based on measuring the one or more intra-probe packet gaps.
18. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
offsetting the estimated packet processing time by a constant value based on a type of the destination host.
19. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
estimating the packet processing time over a plurality of multiple-hop network paths.
20. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
repeatedly transmitting the compound probe and estimating the packet processing time under high network congestion conditions.