Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for analyzing traffic on a network by monitoring packets sent between devices on the network and identifying applications occurring between devices on the network based on information derived from monitoring the packets. Techniques are provided to examine header information of the packets, such as information in the header of Internet Protocol (IP) packets, to identify applications that are occurring on the network. In some cases, information about the packet beyond the header information is examined to match a packet to a particular application. Using these techniques, a list is built of all of the applications occurring between devices on the network. Parameters may be generated to track one or more of the response time, latency and traffic volume associated with a particular device on the network.

Abstract: A technique for measuring delay variation (jitter) of data traffic (protocol data units (PDUs)) traversing a communication network involves: generating first PDU identifiers of PDUs observed at a first point and corresponding first timestamps indicating observation times of the PDUs at the first point; generating second PDU identifiers of PDUs observed at a second point and corresponding second timestamps indicating observation times of the PDUs at the second point; and computing, from first and second timestamps having matching PDU identifiers, a measure of variation indicating a delay variation of PDUs between the first and second points.