Abstract: This invention relates to methods for correlating media streams and signaling sessions of services, for example, in a passive monitoring system of a packet-switched network. Furthermore, the invention also relates to an implementation of these methods in hardware and software, and provides a signaling plane probe, a media plane probe and a correlation unit. Moreover, a passive monitoring system comprising one or more of these hardware devices is provided. To correlate media streams and signaling sessions of services, the invention proposes to independently generate correlation keys in a media plane probe for monitored media streams and correlation keys for signaling sessions that are monitored by a signaling plane probe in a fashion that matching correlation keys are generated for a respective service.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods and systems for detecting periodic impairments of media streams of real-time communication sessions within a packet-switched network. The invention is performed in a passive monitoring system monitoring a plurality of media streams providing quality data records for each monitored media stream and for predefined time intervals. For each media stream a frequency distribution is generated, which is indicative of the number of good quality data records between two quality data records indicative of impairment. If a maximum exists in the media stream's frequency distribution for a given number of consecutive good quality data records, the stream is determined to be periodically impaired and said given number of consecutive good quality data records for which the maximum exists indicates the periodicity in the impairment of the media stream.

Abstract: This invention relates to methods and an apparatus for detecting quality induced terminations of media streams of real-time communication sessions within a packet-switched network. To enable the determination of the quality of live media streams passing by the tapping points in a network, and to use this information to determine media transmissions being aborted due to bad quality the invention evaluates quality data records of a terminated media stream to detect, whether the media stream was terminated due to bad quality or another reason. Advantageously, a threshold number of quality data records that were generated for the media stream just before termination thereof are considered in the evaluation. In case each of this threshold number of quality data records yields a bad quality of the media stream, the termination of the media stream may be judged or assumed to be induced due to bad quality.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods and systems for detecting periodic impairments of media streams of real-time communication sessions within a packet-switched network. The invention is performed in a passive monitoring system monitoring a plurality of media streams providing quality data records for each monitored media stream and for predefined time intervals. For each media stream a frequency distribution is generated, which is indicative of the number of good quality data records between two quality data records indicative of impairment. If a maximum exists in the media stream's frequency distribution for a given number of consecutive good quality data records, the stream is determined to be periodically impaired and said given number of consecutive good quality data records for which the maximum exists indicates the periodicity in the impairment of the media stream.

Abstract: This invention relates to methods and an apparatus for detecting quality induced terminations of media streams of real-time communication sessions within a packet-switched network. To enable the determination of the quality of live media streams passing by the tapping points in a network, and to use this information to determine media transmissions being aborted due to bad quality the invention evaluates quality data records of a terminated media stream to detect, whether the media stream was terminated due to bad quality or another reason. Advantageously, a threshold number of quality data records that were generated for the media stream just before termination thereof are considered in the evaluation. In case each of this threshold number of quality data records yields a bad quality of the media stream, the termination of the media stream may be judged or assumed to be induced due to bad quality.

Abstract: This invention relates to methods for correlating media streams and signaling sessions of services, for example, in a passive monitoring system of a packet-switched network. Furthermore, the invention also relates to an implementation of these methods in hardware and software, and provides a signaling plane probe, a media plane probe and a correlation unit. Moreover, a passive monitoring system comprising one or more of these hardware devices is provided. To correlate media streams and signaling sessions of services, the invention proposes to independently generate correlation keys in a media plane probe for monitored media streams and correlation keys for signaling sessions that are monitored by a signaling plane probe in a fashion that matching correlation keys are generated for a respective service.