Hierarchical time stamping

Abstract

Various embodiments are described herein, which provide a network element comprising a network port to receive production network data that is used for purposes other than testing the performance of a network, a data plane coupled to the network port, the data plane including a timing module to append a time stamp to a set of one or more time stamps included within the production network data, and a control plane coupled to the data plane, the control plane including a latency analyzer to analyze the set of one or more time stamps included within the production network data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A network access device comprising:
 a network physical port configured to receive, via a production network, production network data that is used for purposes other than testing the performance of a network, the production network data including a plurality of units of production network data having different protocols and traveling over a plurality of different paths to the network access device;   a timing circuit configured to append a time stamp to a plurality of time stamps included within each unit of the production network data; and   a latency analyzer circuit configured to determine a latency for each unit of production network data based on at least the plurality of time stamps; and   a path analyzer circuit configured to determine a path corresponding to the latency for each unit of production network data based on a set of host identifiers included with plurality of time stamps.   a first network element to receive a unit of production network data, the first network element to apply a first time stamp to the unit of production network data, the first time stamp including a coordinated universal time value;   a second network element to receive the unit of production network data from the first network element, the second network element to append a second time stamp to the first time stamp; and   a third network element to receive the unit of production network data from the second network element, the third network element to append a third time stamp to the second time stamp.