Data communications performance monitoring using principal component analysis

摘要

A method and apparatus are provided for monitoring data communications performance over at least a portion of a network having a plurality of network users each having, linked to the network, a network termination device for accessing services over the network. In a training phase, remote connections are established to the network termination device of each in a predetermined set of network users served by a predetermined portion of the network to retrieve parameter data generated by the device, the parameter data comprising values for a predetermined set of parameters indicative of data communications performance over that portion of the network. Principal component analysis is applied to the retrieved data to determine the principal component directions of variation. One or more models of data communications performance are then generated for that portion of the network in terms of one or more value ranges in a projection of the retrieved parameter data into a coordinate system defined by two or more of the determined principal components. In a monitoring phase, the same parameters are retrieved from a network termination device of a selected user served by the same portion of the network and projected into the coordinate system of the generated models to expose any significantly divergent behaviour, potentially indicative of a fault condition.