Methods and apparatus for placement of test packets onto a data communication network

摘要

A test packet sequencer for dispatching test packets onto a computer network comprises a computer running software under an operating system. The software uses I/O completion ports to dispatch packets and bursts of packets. The packets may be dispatched to travel a path in the network which terminates at the test packet sequencer. The software may also receive and time stamp returning packets and bursts of packets. The test packet sequencer may receive the packets in I/O completion ports. The software may have a test handler thread which terminates its current time slice just prior to sending a burst of packets so that the packets are all dispatched within a single time slice of the test handler thread. The test handler thread may be assigned a time critical priority.