Apparatus and method for analyzing the effect of adding a user group to a computer network
DCFirst Claim
1. A method of analyzing the effect of adding a user group to a network having a maximum network characteristic, the user group requiring a minimum of the network characteristic across the network, the minimum of the network characteristic of the user group being defined by group minimum network characteristic data, the method comprisingmonitoring data flow in the network over a selected time interval to produce network characteristic flow data;
- combining the group minimum network characteristic data with the network characteristic flow data to produce combined network characteristic data;
producing a reconfiguration message if the combined network characteristic data is not compatible with the maximum network characteristic of the network, the reconfiguration message providing information relating to reconfiguring the network to facilitate the addition of the user group to the network; and
wherein the reconfiguration message includes information indicating that the group minimum network characteristic data can be maintained if the user group is operated on the network at no times other than during one or more specified time intervals.
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Abstract
An apparatus for analyzing the effect on a network characteristic (e.g., throughput or latency) of adding a user group to a network (having a maximum network characteristic) produces a reconfiguration message if addition of the user group adversely affects the network characteristic across the network. To that end, the apparatus first monitors data flow in the network over a selected time interval to produce network characteristic flow data. Once the network characteristic flow data is produced, group minimum network characteristic data (i.e., representing the minimum network characteristic requirement of the user group) is combined with the monitored network characteristic flow data to produce combined network characteristic data. The reconfiguration message then is produced if the combined network characteristic data is not compatible with the maximum network characteristic of the network. The reconfiguration message provides information relating to reconfiguring the network to facilitate the addition of the user group to the network.
55 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A method of analyzing the effect of adding a user group to a network having a maximum network characteristic, the user group requiring a minimum of the network characteristic across the network, the minimum of the network characteristic of the user group being defined by group minimum network characteristic data, the method comprising
monitoring data flow in the network over a selected time interval to produce network characteristic flow data; -
combining the group minimum network characteristic data with the network characteristic flow data to produce combined network characteristic data;
producing a reconfiguration message if the combined network characteristic data is not compatible with the maximum network characteristic of the network, the reconfiguration message providing information relating to reconfiguring the network to facilitate the addition of the user group to the network; and
wherein the reconfiguration message includes information indicating that the group minimum network characteristic data can be maintained if the user group is operated on the network at no times other than during one or more specified time intervals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
producing an approval message if the combined network characteristic data is compatible with the maximum network characteristic of the network, the approval message indicating that the user group may be added to the network and maintain at least the user group minimum network characteristic requirement.
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4. The method as defined by claim 3 wherein the network includes at least one existing user group, each existing user group having an existing user group network characteristic minimum, the approval message indicating that the user group may be added to the network without affecting the existing user group network characteristic minimum of any of the existing user groups.
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5. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the network is a local area network.
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6. The method as defined by claim 1 further comprising:
determining if the combined network characteristic data is compatible with the maximum network characteristic of the network.
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7. The method as defined by claim 6 wherein the combined network characteristic data is deemed to be compatible with the maximum network characteristic if the value of the combined network characteristic data does not exceed the value of the maximum network characteristic at any time during the selected time interval.
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8. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the network characteristic flow data is represented as a function of the selected time interval.
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9. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the reconfiguration message includes information indicating that the network characteristic flow data must be reduced to enable the user group to be added and maintain its required minimum network characteristic across the network.
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10. The method as defined by claim 9 wherein the network includes one or more existing groups, each of the one or more existing groups having an existing group minimum network characteristic requirement, the reconfiguration message including information indicating that the existing group minimum network characteristic requirements of one of the existing groups must be reduced to enable the user group to be added and maintain the required user group minimum network characteristic across the network.
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11. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the user group is to operate at a specified quality of service level having a minimum network characteristic requirement, the minimum network characteristic of the group being the same as the minimum network characteristic requirement of the specified quality of service level.
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12. The method as defined by claim 1 further comprising:
- displaying a user interface for entering configuration data for the user group into a computer system, the configuration data including data specifying a quality of service level.
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13. The method as defined by claim 1 further comprising:
- reconfiguring the network to comply with the reconfiguration message.
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14. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the network characteristic is throughput.
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15. The method as defined by claim 1 wherein the network characteristic is latency.
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16. An apparatus for analyzing the effect of adding a user group to a network having a maximum network characteristic, the user group requiring a minimum of the network characteristic across the network, the minimum of the network characteristic of the user group being defined by group minimum network characteristic data, the apparatus comprising
a flow monitor that monitors data flow in the network over a selected time interval to produce network characteristic flow data; -
a combiner that combines the group minimum network characteristic data with the network characteristic flow data to produce combined network characteristic data;
a message producer that produces a reconfiguration message if the combined network characteristic data is not compatible with the maximum network characteristic of the network, the reconfiguration message providing information relating to reconfiguring the network to facilitate the addition of the user group to the network; and
wherein the reconfiguration message includes information indicating that the network characteristic flow data must be reduced to enable the user group to be added and maintain its required minimum network characteristic across the network. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
an approval message producer that produces an approval message if the combined network characteristic data is compatible with the maximum network characteristic of the network, the approval message indicating that the user group may be added to the network and maintain at least the user group minimum network characteristic requirement.
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19. The apparatus as defined by claim 18 wherein the network includes at least one existing user group, each existing user group having an existing user group network characteristic minimum, the approval message indicating that the user group may be added to the network without affecting the existing user group network characteristic minimum of any of the existing user groups.
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20. The apparatus as defined by claim 16 wherein the network is a local area network.
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21. The apparatus as defined by claim 16 further comprising:
a determiner that determines if the combined network characteristic data is compatible with the maximum network characteristic of the network.
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22. The apparatus as defined by claim 21 wherein the combined network characteristic data is deemed to be compatible with the maximum network characteristic if the value of the combined network characteristic data does not exceed the value of the maximum network characteristic at any time during the selected time interval.
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23. The apparatus as defined by claim 16 wherein the network characteristic flow data is represented as a function of the selected time interval.
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24. The apparatus as defined by claim 16 wherein the reconfiguration message includes information indicating that the group minimum network characteristic data can be maintained if the user group is operated on the network at no times other than during one or more specified time intervals.
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25. The apparatus as defined by claim 16 wherein the network includes one or more existing groups, each of the one or more existing groups having an existing group minimum network characteristic requirement, the reconfiguration message including information indicating that the existing group minimum network characteristic requirements of one of the existing groups must be reduced to enable the user group to be added and maintain the required user group minimum network characteristic across the network.
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26. The apparatus as defined by claim 16 wherein the user group is to operate at a specified quality of service level having a minimum network characteristic requirement, the minimum network characteristic of the group being the same as the minimum network characteristic requirement of the specified quality of service level.
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27. The apparatus as defined by claim 16 further comprising:
a display device that displays a user interface for entering configuration data for the user group into a computer system, the configuration data including data specifying a quality of service level.
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28. The apparatus as defined by claim 16 further comprising:
a reconfiguration manager that reconfigures the network to comply with the reconfiguration message.
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29. The apparatus as defined by claim 16 wherein the network characteristic is throughput.
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30. The apparatus as defined by claim 16 wherein the network characteristic is latency.
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31. A computer program product for use on a computer system for analyzing the effect of adding a user group to a network having a maximum network characteristic, the user group requiring a minimum of the network characteristic across the network, the minimum of the network characteristic of the user group being defined by group minimum network characteristic data, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code including:
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program code for monitoring data flow in the network over a selected time interval to produce network characteristic flow data;
program code for combining the group minimum network characteristic data with the network characteristic flow data to produce combined network characteristic data;
program code for producing a reconfiguration message if the combined network characteristic data is not compatible with the maximum network characteristic of the network, the reconfiguration message providing information relating to reconfiguring the network to facilitate the addition of the user group to the network;
program code for reconfiguring the network to comply with the reconfiguration message;
program code for producing an approval message if the combined network characteristic data is compatible with the maximum network characteristic of the network, the approval message indicating that the user group may be added to the network and maintain at least the user group minimum network characteristic requirement; and
wherein the network includes at least one existing user group, each existing user group having an existing user group network characteristic minimum, the approval message indicating that the user group may be added to the network without affecting the existing user group network characteristic minimum of any of the existing user groups. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 35, 40, 41, 42)
program code for causing a display device to display a user interface for entering configuration data for the user group into.a computer system, the configuration data including data specifying a quality of service level.
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41. The computer program product as defined by claim 31 wherein the network characteristic is throughput.
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42. The computer program product as defined by claim 31 wherein the network characteristic is latency.
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34. A computer program product for use on a computer system for analyzing the effect of adding a user group to a network having a maximum network characteristic, the user group requiring a minimum of the network characteristic across the network, the minimum of the network characteristic of the user group being defined by group minimum network characteristic data, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code including:
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program code for monitoring data flow in the network over a selected time interval to produce network characteristic flow data;
program code for combining the group minimum network characteristic data with the network characteristic flow data to produce combined network characteristic data;
program code for producing a reconfiguration message if the combined network characteristic data is not compatible with the maximum network characteristic of the network, the reconfiguration message providing information relating to reconfiguring the network to facilitate the addition of the user group to the network;
program code for determining if the combined network characteristic data is compatible with the maximum network characteristic of the network; and
wherein the combined network characteristic data is deemed to be compatible with the maximum network characteristic if the value of the combined network characteristic data does not exceed the value of the maximum network characteristic at any time during the selected time interval.
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36. A computer program product for use on a computer system for analyzing the effect of adding a user group to a network having a maximum network characteristic, the user group requiring a minimum of the network characteristic across the network, the minimum of the network characteristic of the user group being defined by group minimum network characteristic data, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code including:
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program code for monitoring data flow in the network over a selected time interval to produce network characteristic flow data;
program code for combining the group minimum network characteristic data with the network characteristic flow data to produce combined network characteristic data;
program code for producing a reconfiguration message if the combined network characteristic data is not compatible with the maximum network characteristic of the network, the reconfiguration message providing information relating to reconfiguring the network to facilitate the addition of the user group to the network; and
wherein the reconfiguration message includes information indicating that the group minimum network characteristic data can be maintained if the user group is operated on the network at no times other than during one or more specified time intervals.
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37. A computer program product for use on a computer system for analyzing the effect of adding a user group to a network having a maximum network characteristic, the user group requiring a minimum of the network characteristic across the network, the minimum of the network characteristic of the user group being defined by group minimum network characteristic data, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code including:
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program code for monitoring data flow in the network over a selected time interval to produce network characteristic flow data;
program code for combining the group minimum network characteristic data with the network characteristic flow data to produce combined network characteristic data;
program code for producing a reconfiguration message if the combined network characteristic data is not compatible with the maximum network characteristic of the network, the reconfiguration message providing information relating to reconfiguring the network to facilitate the addition of the user group to the network; and
wherein the reconfiguration message includes information indicating that the network characteristic flow data must be reduced to enable the user group to be added and maintain its required minimum network characteristic across the network.
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38. A computer program product for use on a computer system for analyzing the effect of adding a user group to a network having a maximum network characteristic, the user group requiring a minimum of the network characteristic across the network, the minimum of the network characteristic of the user group being defined by group minimum network characteristic data, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code including:
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program code for monitoring data flow in the network over a selected time interval to produce network characteristic flow data;
program code for combining the group minimum network characteristic data with the network characteristic flow data to produce combined network characteristic data;
program code for producing a reconfiguration message if the combined network characteristic data is not compatible with the maximum network characteristic of the network, the reconfiguration message providing information relating to reconfiguring the network to facilitate the addition of the user group to the network; and
wherein the network includes one or more existing groups, each of the one or more existing groups having an existing group minimum network characteristic requirement, the reconfiguration message including information indicating that the existing group minimum network characteristic requirements of one of the existing groups must be reduced to enable the user group to be added and maintain the required user group minimum network characteristic across the network.
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39. A computer program product for use on a computer system for analyzing the effect of adding a user group to a network having a maximum network characteristic, the user group requiring a minimum of the network characteristic across the network, the minimum of the network characteristic of the user group being defined by group minimum network characteristic data, the computer program product- comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code including:
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program code for monitoring data flow in the network over a selected time interval to produce network characteristic flow data;
program code for combining the group minimum network characteristic data with the network characteristic flow data to produce combined network characteristic data;
program code for producing a reconfiguration message if the combined network characteristic data is not compatible with the maximum network characteristic of the network, the reconfiguration message providing information relating to reconfiguring the network to facilitate the addition of the user group to the network; and
wherein the user group is to operate at a specified quality of service level having a minimum network characteristic requirement, the minimum network characteristic of the group being the same as the minimum network characteristic requirement of the specified quality of service level.
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Specification