Abstract: A system and method to aggregate subscriber-perspective data from live data packets of network traffic. The method includes inspecting live packets of network traffic exchanged with a plurality of subscriber end devices. Network traffic exchanged with a subscriber end device can include network traffic exchanged with a different subscriber end device or with an application server. The packet inspection is performed at a location of interception of the live packets, each subscriber end device being an end device correlated with a subscriber. The method further includes selecting, at the location, content data of the inspected packets that correspond to packets exchanged with a selected subscriber end device of the plurality of subscriber end devices, aggregating, at the location, the content data selected, wherein the content data has not been previously aggregated, and outputting, at the location, results of the aggregation.

Abstract: A light pipe array assembly is disclosed which includes an opaque carrier having an elongated planar platform defining upper and lower horizontal surfaces and a longitudinal axis, a first set of light pipes supported on the upper surface of the platform and arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the platform, and a second set of light pipes supported on the lower surface of the platform and arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the platform in alignment with the first set of light pipes, wherein the first and second sets of light pipes are optically isolated from each other by the platform of the carrier.

Abstract: A system and computer-implemented method to process bidirectional network traffic having encrypted application data and using an encrypted transport protocol. The method includes estimating a size of encrypted application data in respective packets of the bidirectional network traffic, wherein the packets of the bidirectional network traffic are transported in opposing directions. The method further includes assigning timing criteria to respective application packets transported in the opposing directions that were determined to include a threshold amount of encrypted application data, the timing criteria being based on a time of observation at an observation point of the corresponding application packet, and acknowledging, for respective packets of the application packets, selected application packets that were selected based on the timing criteria assigned to the respective application packets.

Abstract: A system and computer-implemented method to process bidirectional network traffic having encrypted application data and using an encrypted transport protocol. The method includes estimating a size of encrypted application data in respective packets of the bidirectional network traffic, wherein the packets of the bidirectional network traffic are transported in opposing directions. The method further includes assigning timing criteria to respective application packets transported in the opposing directions that were determined to include a threshold amount of encrypted application data, the timing criteria being based on a time of observation at an observation point of the corresponding application packet, and acknowledging, for respective packets of the application packets, selected application packets that were selected based on the timing criteria assigned to the respective application packets.

Abstract: A system and method to identify a call end associated with a problem that caused failure of an internet protocol-based call. The method includes accessing a first call detail record (CDR) set including at least one CDR associated with a first call end of the failed call, determining from the first CDR set indicators of failure attribution of the failed call, determining whether fault for failure of the failed call is attributed to the first call end based on the indicators of failure attribution; outputting an indication that the fault is attributed to the first call end if it was determined that the fault is attributed to the first call end, and outputting the indication to indicate the first call end is acquitted of the fault if it was determined the fault is not attributed to the first call end.

Abstract: A plurality of data packets is received from a wireless communication system. At least one of SIP signaling messages and S1-AP signaling messages associated with calls being made or attempted in the wireless communication system are analyzed for a specified time period to identify one or more dropped calls. At least one of SIP signaling error codes and S1-AP signaling cause codes associated with the identified dropped calls are analyzed to identify one or more call drop reasons. An ASI data set is generated based on the analysis of the at least one of the SIP signaling messages and the S1-AP signaling messages and based on the analysis of the at least one of the SIP signaling error codes and the S1-AP signaling cause codes.

Abstract: A system for correcting network planning data includes a planning repository containing information related to network traffic, network element locations and network element connectivity. The system further includes a repository that includes a plurality of call data records. In addition, the system includes an information processing system including a processor and a memory device coupled to the processor. The memory device contains a set of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to receive location data associated with a wireless network cell from a plurality of devices connected to the wireless network. The set of instructions further causes the processor to identify call data records associated with the received location data and to compare information in the received location data with corresponding information stored in the identified call data records to identify errors in the information stored in the planning repository.

Abstract: Internet protocol packets are statelessly identified as associated with a particular session-instance by identifying a key, or session-instance identifier, within the data (or payload) portion of a user plane packet. This identifier is specific to the session-instance and remains constant throughout the session-instance. Using this stateless identification, transmitted user plane packets are automatically routed at the transmission speed of the transmission link using a method that automatically balances the analysis processing load between network probes. The load is balanced by routing the user plane packet to a network probe that is either already analyzing the session-instance or by routing the user plane packet to a system that has processing capacity to analyze a new session-instance. The network probe then analyzes the user plane packet and the session-instance to measure the quality of the user experience of the session-instance and performance of the network.

Abstract: A method for establishing a communications path is provided. A routing path between a source port on a source switch and a destination port on a destination switch through intermediate switches is identified. A first message is sent to the source switch, the destination switch and the intermediate switches instructing the recipient switches to prepare for establishing a connection. In response to receiving a first set of acknowledgment messages from the recipient switches, a second message is sent to the destination switch and the intermediate switches instructing these switches to establish a connection to the destination port along the identified routing path. In response to receiving a second set of acknowledgment messages from the destination switch and each of the intermediate switches, a third message is sent to the source switch instructing it to establish a connection between the source port and the established connection to the destination port.

Abstract: A method for monitoring, detecting and reporting the impact of handovers on the quality of experience for one or more users in a mobile cellular network includes collecting, from a plurality of mobile network elements, session records specifying data about sessions handled by two or more mobile network elements. A session record comprises a signaling portion and a media portion. Each session includes two or more session segments. Session segments having session media gaps are identified from the media portions of the collected session records. At least some of the session media gaps are associated with a handover procedure between two mobile network elements. A plurality of performance metrics related to handover procedures in the identified session segments are calculated and stored. An interactive graphical representation of the stored performance metrics is rendered to a user via a graphical user interface.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for calculating session initiation protocol (SIP) key performance indicators (KPIs) for multimedia communication in a network accessing network packets monitored over time. The method includes accessing network packets monitored over time, detecting a SIP response message of the monitored network packets, and accounting for the detected SIP response message in a time window of a series of consecutive time windows that includes the SIP response message's associated observed time. The SIP response message has an associated observed time at which the monitored SIP message was observed during monitoring. The method further includes pairing a SIP request message expected to be paired with the detected SIP response message with the detected SIP response message and accounting for the paired SIP request message in the time window with which the detected SIP response message is accounted.

Abstract: A method for determining a routing for packets aggregated from multiple Layer 2 (L2) networks is provided. An ingress packet is received from an ingress inline network port and is processed to extract a source Media Access Control (MAC) address and a port identifier associated with the source MAC address. The extracted source MAC address of the ingress packet is looked up in a MAC address table. The ingress packet is forwarded to an inline tool device. When an egress packet is received back from the inline tool device it is processed to extract source and destination MAC addresses. The extracted source and destination MAC addresses of the egress packet are looked up in the MAC address table. The egress packet is transmitted to an egress inline port based on the looked up destination MAC address.

Abstract: Internet protocol packets are statelessly identified as associated with a particular session-instance by identifying a key, or session-instance identifier, within the data (or payload) portion of a user plane packet. This identifier is specific to the session-instance and remains constant throughout the session-instance. Using this stateless identification, transmitted user plane packets are automatically routed at the transmission speed of the transmission link using a method that automatically balances the analysis processing load between network probes. The load is balanced by routing the user plane packet to a network probe that is either already analyzing the session-instance or by routing the user plane packet to a system that has processing capacity to analyze a new session-instance. The network probe then analyzes the user plane packet and the session-instance to measure the quality of the user experience of the session-instance and performance of the network.

Abstract: An automated network test system includes an integrated network switch connected to a network under test. The network switch includes a first and second plurality of network switch ports. The network switch further includes a physical layer engine coupled to the first plurality of network switch ports. The network switch also includes at least one processor having a plurality of processing cores that can each asynchronously execute a test execution context and a test engine having a plurality of dynamically configurable function modules. The test engine is coupled to the second plurality of network switch ports, the physical layer engine and at least one processor. The test engine is configured for automatic testing of the network under test.

Abstract: Internet protocol packets are statelessly identified as associated with a particular session-instance by identifying a key, or session-instance identifier, within the data (or payload) portion of a user plane packet. This identifier is specific to the session-instance and remains constant throughout the session-instance. Using this stateless identification, transmitted user plane packets are automatically routed at the transmission speed of the transmission link using a method that automatically balances the analysis processing load between network probes. The load is balanced by routing the user plane packet to a network probe that is either already analyzing the session-instance or by routing the user plane packet to a system that has processing capacity to analyze a new session-instance. The network probe then analyzes the user plane packet and the session-instance to measure the quality of the user experience of the session-instance and performance of the network.

Abstract: A method in a flow controller for selecting optimal path is provided. A plurality of potential flow paths in the network for a particular pair of source and destination switch ports is determined in a flow controller. A plurality of cost factors associated with each of the plurality of potential flow paths is identified. Individual cost values are determined for each of the identified plurality of cost factors for each of the plurality of potential flow paths by multiplying the identified cost factors by a stratification factor. A single cost value for each of the plurality of potential flow paths is determined based on the determined individual cost values. One of the potential flow paths is selected in the flow controller for the particular pair of source and destination switch ports based upon the determined single cost value.

Abstract: Internet protocol packets are statelessly identified as associated with a particular session-instance by identifying a key, or session-instance identifier, within the data (or payload) portion of a user plane packet. This identifier is specific to the session-instance and remains constant throughout the session-instance. Using this stateless identification, transmitted user plane packets are automatically routed at the transmission speed of the transmission link using a method that automatically balances the analysis processing load between network probes. The load is balanced by routing the user plane packet to a network probe that is either already analyzing the session-instance or by routing the user plane packet to a system that has processing capacity to analyze a new session-instance. The network probe then analyzes the user plane packet and the session-instance to measure the quality of the user experience of the session-instance and performance of the network.

Abstract: Internet protocol packets are statelessly identified as associated with a particular session-instance by identifying a key, or session-instance identifier, within the data (or payload) portion of a user plane packet. This identifier is specific to the session-instance and remains constant throughout the session-instance. Using this stateless identification, transmitted user plane packets are automatically routed at the transmission speed of the transmission link using a method that automatically balances the analysis processing load between network probes. The load is balanced by routing the user plane packet to a network probe that is either already analyzing the session-instance or by routing the user plane packet to a system that has processing capacity to analyze a new session-instance. The network probe then analyzes the user plane packet and the session-instance to measure the quality of the user experience of the session-instance and performance of the network.

Abstract: A system for performing computer network service chain analytics includes network-connected devices containing a plurality of virtual network functions having elements and a data model for storing a plurality of metrics related to the plurality of virtual network functions and a service chain intelligence engine in communication with the one or more network-connected devices and the data model. The memory device contains a set of instructions that causes a processor to analyze the plurality of virtual network functions to automatically identify one or more service chains, to automatically determine, using the data model, performance behavior characteristics of each element for each of the identified service chains and to automatically generate an alarm, in response to determining that the performance behavior characteristics of one or more elements of at least one of the identified one or more service chains does not meet a predefined set of the performance behavior characteristics.

Abstract: A system for configuring one or more flows of captured data packets through a hybrid communication network is provided. The system includes first and second segments of the hybrid communication network. The first segment includes a stacked topology of communicatively coupled plurality of network captured traffic distribution devices. The second segment includes one or more OpenFlow switches configured for an OpenFlow protocol. The system also includes a management server communicatively coupled to the first and second segments of the hybrid communication network. The management server includes logic adapted to configure one or more data flows of captured data packets with respect to forwarding the captured data packets between the first and second segments of the hybrid communication network.