Abstract: In general, this disclosure describes a network device to determine a cause of packets being dropped within a network. An example method includes generating, by a traffic monitor operating on a network device, an exception packet that includes a unique exception code that identifies a cause for a component in the network device to discard a transit packet, and a nexthop index identifying a forwarding path being taken by the transit packet experiencing the exception. The method also includes forwarding the exception packet to a collector to be processed.

Abstract: In general, this disclosure describes a network device to determine a cause of packets being dropped within a network. An example method includes generating, by a traffic monitor operating on a network device, an exception packet that includes a unique exception code that identifies a cause for a component in the network device to discard a transit packet, and a nexthop index identifying a forwarding path being taken by the transit packet experiencing the exception. The method also includes forwarding the exception packet to a collector to be processed.

Abstract: In general, this disclosure describes a network device to determine a cause of packets being dropped within a network. An example method includes generating, by a traffic monitor operating on a network device, an exception packet that includes a unique exception code that identifies a cause for a component in the network device to discard a transit packet, and a nexthop index identifying a forwarding path being taken by the transit packet experiencing the exception. The method also includes forwarding the exception packet to a collector to be processed.

Abstract: A disclosed method may include (1) measuring a quality level of a first instance of a video flow received via a first link within a network, (2) measuring a quality level of a second instance of the video flow received via a second link within the network, (3) determining that the quality level of the second instance of the video flow is better than the quality level of the first instance of the video flow, and then in response to determining that the quality level of the second instance of the video flow is better, (4) performing a flow-level switchover from the first instance of the video flow to the second instance of the video flow by (A) activating the second instance of the video flow and (B) deactivating the first instance of the video flow. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A disclosed method may include (1) identifying, within a network, a media stream under consideration for a conditional MDI, (2) identifying, for the media stream, an expected packet rate at which the media stream is expected to pass through at least a portion of the network, (3) determining, for the media stream, an actual packet rate at which the media stream actually passes through the portion of the network, (4) calculating, based at least in part on the expected packet rate and the actual packet rate, a media rate variation that represents a reference for determining whether to perform the conditional MDI on the media stream, (5) determining that the media rate variation meets a certain threshold, and then upon determining that the media rate variation meets the certain threshold, (6) performing the conditional MDI on the media stream. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosure sets forth techniques, devices, systems, and methods for measuring a packet residency time in a network device. In some aspects, a network flow measurement protocol includes data fields in flow data records exported to a traffic collector, including a packet ingress time and a packet egress time. The data fields allow the calculation of the packet residency time within a network device, as well as the time required for the packet to traverse between two network devices in the network. A filter can be installed on one or more network devices in a network. For packets that match the filter criteria, the network device records the times of packet arrival and packet departure, and, in some aspects, a packet residency time of the packet with the network device. The network device exports the flow data record pertaining to this packet to a traffic flow data collector.

Abstract: A disclosed method may include (1) receiving, at an IPFIX collector, a IPFIX message from an IPFIX exporter implemented on a remote device, (2) identifying, within the IPFIX message, a data set exported by the IPFIX exporter implemented on the remote device, (3) identifying, within the IPFIX message, a data-level indicator that indicates whether the data set is (A) a primary data set observed by an observation domain implemented on the remote device or (B) a secondary data set derived by an observation cloud implemented on the remote device, (4) identifying, at the IPFIX collector, a database that corresponds to the data-level indicator identified within the IPFIX message, (5) storing the data set in the database in accordance with the data-level indicator, and then (6) performing an action based at least in part on the data set stored in the database. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: In general, this disclosure describes a network device to determine a cause of packets being dropped within a network. An example method includes generating, by a traffic monitor operating on a network device, an exception packet that includes a unique exception code that identifies a cause for a component in the network device to discard a transit packet, and a nexthop index identifying a forwarding path being taken by the transit packet experiencing the exception. The method also includes forwarding the exception packet to a collector to be processed.

Abstract: A disclosed method may include (1) receiving, at an IPFIX collector, a IPFIX message from an IPFIX exporter implemented on a remote device, (2) identifying, within the IPFIX message, a data set exported by the IPFIX exporter implemented on the remote device, (3) identifying, within the IPFIX message, a data-level indicator that indicates whether the data set is (A) a primary data set observed by an observation domain implemented on the remote device or (B) a secondary data set derived by an observation cloud implemented on the remote device, (4) identifying, at the IPFIX collector, a database that corresponds to the data-level indicator identified within the IPFIX message, (5) storing the data set in the database in accordance with the data-level indicator, and then (6) performing an action based at least in part on the data set stored in the database. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A disclosed method may include (1) sampling, by way of at least one CPU on a network device, packets traversing a network in connection with at least one communication session that involves computing devices, (2) calculating a total number of packets sampled by way of the CPU over a certain period of time, (3) identifying a sampling threshold that represents a target number of packets to be sampled by way of the CPU over the certain period of time, (4) determining that the total number of packets sampled over the certain period of time exceeds the sampling threshold, and in response to determining that the total number of packets sampled exceeds the sampling threshold, (5) decreasing a sampling rate at which the CPU is to sample subsequent packets traversing the network in connection with the communication session. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A disclosed method may include (1) measuring a quality level of a first instance of a video flow received via a first link within a network, (2) measuring a quality level of a second instance of the video flow received via a second link within the network, (3) determining that the quality level of the second instance of the video flow is better than the quality level of the first instance of the video flow, and then in response to determining that the quality level of the second instance of the video flow is better, (4) performing a flow-level switchover from the first instance of the video flow to the second instance of the video flow by (A) activating the second instance of the video flow and (B) deactivating the first instance of the video flow. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A disclosed method may include (1) identifying, within a network, a media stream under consideration for a conditional MDI, (2) identifying, for the media stream, an expected packet rate at which the media stream is expected to pass through at least a portion of the network, (3) determining, for the media stream, an actual packet rate at which the media stream actually passes through the portion of the network, (4) calculating, based at least in part on the expected packet rate and the actual packet rate, a media rate variation that represents a reference for determining whether to perform the conditional MDI on the media stream, (5) determining that the media rate variation meets a certain threshold, and then upon determining that the media rate variation meets the certain threshold, (6) performing the conditional MDI on the media stream. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.