A Novel Approach to Verify End-to-End Connectivity in an Autonomic Way

Andreas Binzenhöfer, Daniel Schlosser, and Björn auf dem Graben
Research Report 383

Abstract

Computer networks are increasingly becoming more complex. As a consequence unacceptable user-perceived quality is often blamed on the network. However, it requires highly trained professionals to verify the connectivity between two communication partners. The concept of autonomic networks has been proposed in an effort to make such networks easier to manage. In this context, we present a plug-and-play mechanism to check the connectivity between two end points of the network. It will significantly decrease the amount of mundane work, which is usually involved in such a task. The main goal is to autonomically measure the current conditions between two communication partners and to visualize it in an easy to interpret way. The results can be used to indicate whether the current state of the network supports specific services like VoIP calls, videoconferencing, or file transfers.