Protocol analyzer for monitoring digital transmission networks

Claim 1

A protocol analyzer for calculating and displaying protocol distribution in real-time in connection with monitoring data frames carried on a digital transmission network, comprising: means for monitoring the transmission, over the digital transmission network, of frames containing data and protocols; means for identifying the protocols within the frames and for identifying the encapsulation of the protocols within the frames: means for storing the identity and encapsulation of the protocols within the frames: means for calculating the protocol distribution of the frames; and means for displaying in real-time the protocol distribution of the frames in a hierarchical tree format based upon the encapsulation of the protocols within the frames, said means comprising: a first processing instrumentality, comprising means for periodically requesting a protocol distribution update message containing encoded updated protocol distribution information from said means for calculating the protocol distribution of the frames; a second processing instrumentality, having: a. means for receiving and decoding the protocol distribution update message to obtain the updated protocol distribution information, and b. means for providing said first processing instrumentality with a pointer to the updated protocol distribution information; a display device for displaying the updated protocol distribution information; and a third processing instrumentality, having: a. means for obtaining a pointer to the updated protocol distribution information from said first processing instrumentality, and b. means for sending the updated protocol distribution information to said display device in a hierarchical tree format based upon the encapsulation of the protocols within the frames.