System and method for logging traffic flow

1. A method for tracking conformance of user traffic with a bandwidth profile, the method comprising:

observing throughput during an observance window;

determining an average for offered throughput utilizing the observed throughput;

determining whether the average exceeds a bandwidth profile in response to a determination that packets are discarded; and

sending an alarm in response to determining the average exceeds the bandwidth profile.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

recording communications conditions at a time the packets are discarded;

indicating to a user that the average exceeds the bandwidth profile; and

sending information regarding processing of the user traffic to the user, wherein the information is used by the user to configure a shaper that adjusts the user traffic.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein indicating to the user comprises:

providing visual and audio indicators that packets are being discarded at a device performing the determining and sending.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the information is sent to one or more far ends of a communications network in an alarm indicator signal.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the throughput includes accepted throughput and delivered throughput.

6. The method according to claim 5 , further comprising:

determining whether throughput loss is greater than a threshold, wherein the threshold is the accepted throughput minus the delivered throughput all divided by the accepted throughput; and

determining a severity of the alarm in response to the throughput loss.

7. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the average offered throughput is an average of the throughput offered from the user.

8. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the average offered throughput is an average of the throughput received by a user network interface (UNI) device.

9. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor and storing computer executable instructions for tracking conformance of user traffic with a bandwidth profile, the computer executable instructions comprises instructions for:

observing throughput during an observance window;

determining an average for offered throughput utilizing the observed throughput;

determining whether the average exceeds a bandwidth profile in response to a determination that packets are discarded; and

sending an alarm in response to determining the average exceeds the bandwidth profile.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the computer executable instructions further comprises instructions for:

recording communications conditions at a time the packets are discarded;

indicating to a user that the average exceeds the bandwidth profile; and

sending information regarding processing of the user traffic to the user, wherein the information is used by the user to configure a shaper that adjusts the user traffic.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein indicating to the user comprises:

providing visual and audio indicators that packets are being discarded at a device performing the determining and sending.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the information is sent to one or more far ends of a communications network in an alarm indicator signal.

13. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the throughput includes accepted throughput and delivered throughput.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the computer executable instructions further comprises instructions for:

determining whether throughput loss is greater than a threshold, wherein the threshold is the accepted throughput minus the delivered throughput all divided by the accepted throughput; and

determining a severity of the alarm in response to the throughput loss.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for tracking conformance of user traffic with a bandwidth profile, the computer executable instructions when executed causes one or more machines to perform operations comprising:

observing throughput during an observance window;

determining an average for offered throughput utilizing the observed throughput;

determining whether the average exceeds a bandwidth profile in response to a determination that packets are discarded; and

sending an alarm in response to determining the average exceeds the bandwidth profile.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprises:

recording communications conditions at a time the packets are discarded;

indicating to a user that the average exceeds the bandwidth profile; and

sending information regarding processing of the user traffic to the user, wherein the information is used by the user to configure a shaper that adjusts the user traffic.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 16 , wherein indicating to the user comprises:

providing visual and audio indicators that packets are being discarded at a device performing the determining and sending.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 16 , wherein the information is sent to one or more far ends of a communications network in an alarm indicator signal.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15 , wherein the throughput includes accepted throughput and delivered throughput.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprises:

determining whether throughput loss is greater than a threshold, wherein the threshold is the accepted throughput minus the delivered throughput all divided by the accepted throughput; and

determining a severity of the alarm in response to the throughput loss.