Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for providing traffic visibility in a network. An embodiment operates by a third-party component receiving a copy of a first data packet during a first period of time. The third-party component extracts a first network parameter associated with the first period of time from the copy of the first data packet. The third-party component then predicts a baseline of normalcy for the first network parameter during a second period of time after the first period of time based on data associated with a copy of a second data packet and the first network parameter. Thereafter, the third-party component receives a copy of a third data packet during the second period of time, and extracts a second network parameter from the copy of the third data packet. The third-party component then determines that the second network parameter of the copy of the second data packet is an anomaly based on the baseline of normalcy for the first network parameter.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for providing traffic visibility in a network. An embodiment operates by a third-party component in communication with a network component—each located at a network's edge—maintaining a rule table including a first rule comprising first identifiers and a first action for deriving a first packet characteristic. The third-party component receives a first packet copy including second identifiers from the network component. Upon the second identifiers matching the first identifiers, the third-party component determines the rule table's second rule includes a second action for deriving a second packet characteristic. Thereafter, the third-party component receives a second packet copy comprising third identifiers from the network component.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for analyzing a network. An embodiment operates by a network entity from a distributed ledger receiving a notification regarding network information received by the distributed ledger. The entity is associated with a smart contract having one or more conditions that correspond to the network information. The network information is compared with one or more conditions of the smart contract that correspond to the network information. In response to the network information meeting or exceeding a condition of the one or more conditions of the smart contract, the condition is triggered. Further, a transaction to validate an action corresponding to the condition is generated, and the transaction is sent to the distributed ledger. In response to receiving a positive validation from the distributed ledger, the action corresponding to the condition is performed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for analyzing a network. An embodiment operates by a third-party component deriving network data based on a received data packet from a network component configured to perform a network function. The third-party component orders a transaction including second network data from a distributed ledger. The third-party component determines that the first and second network data meet or exceed a condition of a smart contract comprising the condition and an associated network action related to the network function. The third-party component sends the condition of the smart contract and the first and second network data to another third-party component. The third-party component receives a validation that the first and second network data meet or exceed the first condition of the first smart contract and performing the first network action on the network.

Abstract: Techniques for performing near-uniform load balancing in a visibility network based on usage prediction are provided. According to one embodiment, a packet broker of the visibility network can receive a control packet replicated from a core network, where the control packet includes a user or device identifier and a request to create a user session for a user identified by the user/device identifier. The packet broker can further determine, based on the user/device identifier and one or more other parameters, a rank value for the user session, where the rank value indicates an amount of network traffic that the user is likely to generate in the core network during the user session. The packet broker can then select an egress port for the user session based on the rank value and forward subsequent control and data traffic for the user session through the selected egress port.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for analyzing a network. An embodiment operates by a third-party component deriving network data based on a received data packet from a network component configured to perform a network function. The third-party component orders a transaction including second network data from a distributed ledger. The third-party component determines that the first and second network data meet or exceed a condition of a smart contract comprising the condition and an associated network action related to the network function. The third-party component sends the condition of the smart contract and the first and second network data to another third-party component. The third-party component receives a validation that the first and second network data meet or exceed the first condition of the first smart contract and performing the first network action on the network.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for providing traffic visibility in a network. An embodiment operates by a third-party component in communication with a network component—each located at a network's edge—maintaining a rule table including a first rule comprising first identifiers and a first action for deriving a first packet characteristic. The third-party component receives a first packet copy including second identifiers from the network component. Upon the second identifiers matching the first identifiers, the third-party component determines the rule table's second rule includes a second action for deriving a second packet characteristic. Thereafter, the third-party component receives a second packet copy comprising third identifiers from the network component.

Abstract: Techniques for performing near-uniform load balancing in a visibility network based on usage prediction are provided. According to one embodiment, a packet broker of the visibility network can receive a control packet replicated from a core network, where the control packet includes a user or device identifier and a request to create a user session for a user identified by the user/device identifier. The packet broker can further determine, based on the user/device identifier and one or more other parameters, a rank value for the user session, where the rank value indicates an amount of network traffic that the user is likely to generate in the core network during the user session. The packet broker can then select an egress port for the user session based on the rank value and forward subsequent control and data traffic for the user session through the selected egress port.

Abstract: Techniques for implementing a software-based packet broker in a visibility network are provided. According to one embodiment, the software-based packet broker can comprise a network device and a cluster of one or more processing nodes. The network device can receive a control or data packet replicated from a core network and forward the control or data packet to the cluster of one or more processing nodes. At least one processing node in the cluster can then execute, in software, one or more packet processing functions on the control or data packet, where the one or more packet processing functions are operable to determine an egress port of the network device through which the control or data packet should be forwarded to a probe/tool of the visibility network for analysis.

Abstract: Techniques for implementing a software-based packet broker in a visibility network are provided. According to one embodiment, the software-based packet broker can comprise a network device and a cluster of one or more processing nodes. The network device can receive a control or data packet replicated from a core network and forward the control or data packet to the cluster of one or more processing nodes. At least one processing node in the cluster can then execute, in software, one or more packet processing functions on the control or data packet, where the one or more packet processing functions are operable to determine an egress port of the network device through which the control or data packet should be forwarded to a probe/tool of the visibility network for analysis.