IP Library Granted Patent US 8,031,628
Granted Patent B2
US 8,031,628 · App. 12/478,030 · Granted Oct 4, 2011

Optimal probing for unicast network delay tomography

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,031,628
App. No.
12/478,030
Granted
Oct 4, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed to probe a network includes generating a set of probing pairs from a network topology for unicast network delay tomography; probing the network using monitoring hosts in the network; and determining network performance from the probing results.

Claims (255)

1. A computer implemented method to probe a network, comprising:

a. generating a set of probing pairs from a network topology for unicast network delay tomography;

b. probing the network using monitoring hosts in the network;

c. determining network performance from the probing results; and

d. determining an observed information matrix (OIM) J,

wherein the OIM comprises determining

J

l

,

d

,

l

,

d

(

o

r

1

,

o

r

2

)

=

AL

-

D

l

,

d

D

l

,

d

L

2

and

J

(

o

r

1

,

o

r

2

)

=

(

J

l

,

d

,

l

,

d

(

o

r

1

,

o

r

2

)

)

as a matrix defining contributions to the OIM made by a pair of observations (o r 1 , o r 2 ), where (l′, d′) comprises a row index and (l″, d″) comprises a column index,

L is a likelihood function for a single pair of observations (o r 1 , o r 2 )

where the determination of D l*,d* , A comes from:

P ( D l* =d*,o r 1 ,o r 2 )= D l*,d* θ l*,d*

and

P ( D l′ =d′,D l″ =d″,o r 1 ,o r 2 )= Aθ l′,d′ θ l″,d″ for l′≠l″.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising receiving network performance data and applying the network performance data to generate the set of probing host pairs.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising determining a covariance matrix of a maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) for unicast network delay tomography to determine estimation accuracy.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising determining a covariance matrix I −1 as an inverse of

I

=

(

r

1

,

r

2

)

ω

(

r

1

,

r

2

)

(

r

1

,

r

2

)

where ω(r 1 , r 2 ) is the number of probing pair (r 1 ,r 2 ).

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising determining an optimal probing pair as an optimal experimental design problem.

6. The method of claim 5 , comprising determining the covariance matrix I −1 that corresponds to the most accurate estimation.

7. The method of claim 6 , comprising obtaining an optimal set of probing pairs using semi-definite programming (SDP).

8. The method of claim 7 , comprising obtaining an optimal set of probing pairs by selecting an optimal criteria from one of: E-Optimality to minimize the maximum eigenvalue of I −1 ; A-Optimality to minimize the trace of I −1 ; and D-Optimality to minimize the determinant of I −1 .

9. The method of claim 6 , comprising obtaining an optimal set of probing pairs using a greedy process.

10. The method of claim 1 , comprising designing a maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) with a minimum sum of variances by selecting an optimal set of monitoring probe pairs.

11. The method of claim 1 , comprising deriving a covariance matrix as the inverse of the Fisher information matrix for an observed information matrix on the network topology.

12. The method of claim 11 , comprising determining the observed information matrix using an upward-downward process.

13. The method of claim 1 , comprising probing different pairs of monitoring hosts to improve the estimation accuracy.

14. A system to probe a network, comprising

a. a sender computer and a plurality of receiver computers; and

b. a probe coupled to the sender and receiver computers, the probe generating a set of probing pairs from a topology a network for unicast network delay tomography and probing the network using monitoring hosts in the network;

with network performance from the probing results and an observed information matrix (OIM) J being determined, said OIM comprises determining

J

l

,

d

,

l

,

d

(

o

r

1

,

o

r

2

)

=

AL

-

D

l

,

d

D

l

,

d

L

2

and

J

(

o

r

1

,

o

r

2

)

=

(

J

l

,

d

,

l

,

d

(

o

r

1

,

o

r

2

)

)

as a matrix defining contributions to the OIM made by a pair of observations (o r 1 , o r 2 ) where (l′, d′) comprises a row index and (l″, d″) comprises a column index,

L is a likelihood function for a single pair of observations (o r 1 , o r 2 )

where the determination of D l*,d* ,A comes from:

P ( D l* =d*,o r 1 ,o r 2 )= D l*,d* θ l*,d*

and

P ( D l′ =d′,D l″ =d″,o r 1 ,o r 2 )= Aθ l′,d′ θ l″,d″ for l′≠l″.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the sender computer determines a covariance matrix of a maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) for unicast network delay tomography to determine estimation accuracy.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the sender computer determines a covariance matrix I −1 as an inverse of

I

=

(

r

1

,

r

2

)

ω

(

r

1

,

r

2

)

(

r

1

,

r

2

)

where ω(r 1 , r 2 ) is the number of probing pair (r 1 ,r 2 ).

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the sender computer determines the covariance matrix I −1 that corresponds to the most accurate estimation.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the sender computer determines an optimal probing pair as an optimal experimental design problem.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the sender computer determines an optimal set of probing pairs using semi-definite programming (SDP).

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the sender computer determines an optimal set of probing pairs by selecting an optimal criteria from one of: E-Optimality to minimize the maximum eigenvalue of covariance matrix I −1 ; A-Optimality to minimize the trace of covariance matrix I −1 ; and D-Optimality to minimize the determinant of covariance matrix I −1 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 27, 2012
From: NEC LABORATORIES AMERICA, INC.
To: NEC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 027767/0918 →