Method for determining the traffic load in a communication network by means of data packet marking

摘要

The invention relates to a method for determining the load in a communication network provided with network elements such as internal nodes and links and with access nodes, respectively comprising an input node and an output node, which derive and transfer data packets from connected terminals and/or other networks. The internal nodes and links from paths according to routing algorithms and the internal nodes provide data packets with a load-dependent marking. According to the invention, the output nodes separately count up the data packets arriving from the communication network and the markings contained therein according to paths, deriving therefrom a value for the relative load along the respective path, and the values derived from all output nodes are introduced as parameters into system of equations describing the communication network with the internal nodes access nodes, whereby the solution thereof results in a determined relative network element load. The respectively determined relative load can be corrected according to other determined incoming data throughout rates and overall data throughout rates of the network elements. Different marking algorithms can also be used by the internal nodes according to information contained in the header of the data packets.