US 12,363,020 B2
Generating synthetic transactions with packets
Paul Barrett, Westford, MA (US); Bruce Kosbab, Colorado Springs, CO (US); Anil Singhal, Carlisle, MA (US); and Robert Vogt, Colorado Springs, CO (US)
Assigned to NetScout Systems, Inc., Westford, MA (US)
Filed by NetScout Systems, Inc., Westford, MA (US)
Filed on Apr. 7, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/715,704.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/173,007, filed on Apr. 9, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0329510 A1, Oct. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. H04L 43/55 (2022.01)
CPC H04L 43/55 (2022.05) 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method to monitor performance of services, the method comprising:
initiating, by a synthetic transaction generator executed by one or more processors of a first device, a packet capture application for a test of a service provided over a network, the test of the service to occur while one or more second devices communicate with the service;
transmitting, by the synthetic transaction generator, responsive to initiating the packet capture application, one or more data packets that represent synthetic transactions, wherein the one or more data packets are encrypted by the synthetic transaction generator using key material such that the one or more data packets include first metadata to (1) identify the synthetic transaction generator and (2) indicate the test of the service;
identifying, by the synthetic transaction generator, the one or more data packets from a plurality of data packets transmitted across the network, the one or more data packets identified responsive to detecting the first metadata;
storing, by the synthetic transaction generator, responsive to identifying the one or more data packets, the one or more data packets in a packet capture trace file, the packet capture trace file including (i) time stamps corresponding to receipt of the one or more data packets, (ii) an identifier of the synthetic transaction generator, and (iii) second metadata to indicate the key material used to encrypt the one or more data packets;
terminating, by the synthetic transaction generator, the packet capture application responsive to completion of the test of the service; and
transmitting, by the synthetic transaction generator responsive to terminating the packet capture application, the packet capture trace file to a data processing system to cause the data processing system to use the packet capture trace file to determine a performance of the service.