Abstract: It is desired to test network management applications, for example, to show that they will work with large or very large networks, to determine the upper bounds of the applications capabilities, and to determine improvements which might, for example, increase the upper bounds. A method of testing a network application is disclosed providing a mapping of the layer-3 addresses of a real subnetwork onto a plurality of mapped layer-3 subnetwork addresses for conversations with the application or device. A packet is modified to change a destination layer-3 address in a mapped subnetwork, to point to the corresponding real IP address and the packet is forwarded on. The conversation to which a response from a reallayer-3 address relates is identified. The source layer-3 address and packet contents are changed into the appropriate mapped subnetwork and the packet is forwarded to the application or device.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for collecting, storing, processing and using data are described. Network traffic probes are identified and attempts are made to configure the probes to generate network traffic data sets which are as close to a preselected common data format as possible. Application layer traffic data is collected in addition to network layer traffic data. The common data format uses delta count values, and terminal count mode format. Network data is obtained from a probe using one of the available table formats which is selected in the following order of preference: alMatrixTopN (Terminal Mode), alMatrixTopN (AllMode), alMatrix, nlMatrixTopN and nlMatrix. A database of collected network traffic information which includes multiple parallel sets of data stored at different resolutions is created. The data sets for each individual resolution are stored in a separate FIFO data structure and the oldest data records are overwritten when allocated data space becomes fully utilized.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for collecting, storing, processing and using data, such a RMON2 network traffic data, are described. Network traffic probes are identified and attempts are made to configure the identified probes to generate network traffic data sets which are as close to a preselected common data format as possible. Application layer traffic data is collected in addition to network layer traffic data when possible. In an RMON2 embodiment, the common data format includes the use of delta count values as opposed to absolute count values. The common data format of the present invention utilizes terminal count mode format as opposed to all count mode format for the presentation of RMON2 application layer information. To minimize the amount of data processing required to put a probe's network traffic data into the desired common format and to maximize the amount of information collected, network data is obtained from a probe using one of the available RMON2 table formats.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for collecting, storing, processing and using data, such a RMON2 network traffic data, are described. Network traffic probes are identified and attempts are made to configure the identified probes to generate network traffic data sets which are as close to a preselected common data format as possible. Application layer traffic data is collected in addition to network layer traffic data when possible. In an RMON2 embodiment, the common data format includes the use of delta count values as opposed to absolute count values. The common data format of the present invention utilizes terminal count mode format as opposed to all count mode format for the presentation of RMON2 application layer information. To minimize the amount of data processing required to put a probe's network traffic data into the desired common format and to maximize the amount of information collected, network data is obtained from a probe using one of the available RMON2 table formats.