Abstract: A method and apparatus for the distributed monitoring of network traffic deploys end system agents to collect traffic statistics at distributed points in the network. These statistics are forwarded to collectors which compile the statistics to create higher level pictures of network performance. A collector may act as a proxy for a prior art standalone network probe and may interact with network management software as though it were a standalone network probe. The invention is designed to work in accordance with a variety of standard network management protocols including SNMP, RMON, and RMON2 but is not limited to those environments.

Abstract: A method for quantifying communication performance in a communication network comprising computer systems communicatively coupled to each other with communication equipment. In one embodiment, the present invention measures performance statistics associated with data packets sent and received by the computer systems. First, this embodiment applies a first time-stamp to data packets sent by a computer system over the communication equipment, and applies a second time-stamp to data packets received by the computer system over the communication equipment. Second, in this embodiment the present invention correlates a first data packet sent by a first computer system over the communication network to a second data packet sent by a second computer system over the communication network. Third, in this embodiment the present invention computes a difference between a first time-stamp of the first data packet and a second time-stamp of the second data packet.

Abstract: A method for monitoring communication performance in a communication network comprising computer systems communicatively coupled to each other with communication equipment. In one embodiment, a computer system of a communication network measures and time-stamps network performance statistics and stores them in a memory unit within the computer system. The computer system also measures and time-stamps system performance statistics and system parameters and stores them in the memory unit within the computer system. The computer system reports the network performance statistics and the system information to a central computer system at specified time intervals. The central computer system correlates the network performance statistics and the system information for a specified time period based on the time-stamping and stores the network performance statistics and the system information in a memory unit within the computer system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the distributed monitoring of network traffic deploys end system agents to collect traffic statistics at distributed points in the network. These statistics are forwarded to collectors which compile the statistics to create higher level pictures of network performance. A collector may act as a proxy for a prior art standalone network probe and may interact with network management software as though it were a standalone network probe. The invention is designed to work in accordance with a variety of standard network management protocols including SNMP, RMON, and RMON2 but is not limited to those environments.

Abstract: A system and method for simultaneously displaying a set of display applets while optimizing the number of server connections. A connection to the server is established by a controlling applet. The controlling applet receives data from the server, parses the data, transmits the data to a set of display applets, and displays the set of display applets on a single browser window. Even if an applet is torn off a single browser window and moved to another window, the controlling applet continually maintains a link to the server to continually update the data values on the torn off applet as well as on the set of display applets on the single browser window.