Aviz Networks details packet timestamping in Open Packet Broker

Aviz Networks added packet timestamping and time-synchronization capabilities to its Open Packet Broker (OPB) for SONiC-based deployments, providing nanosecond-level timestamps to support precise troubleshooting, performance measurement, and security analysis.

Research overview

The vendor blog frames precise packet timing as necessary in environments such as algorithmic trading, emergency response, and telco monitoring where subsecond timing affects operations. It links accurate timestamps to Quality of Service (QoS) verification, fault diagnosis, and threat detection.

Key findings

Open Packet Broker (OPB) now supports configurable packet timestamping using Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) capabilities, with timestamps applicable per port or per flow and insertable at ingress or egress points. The product also supports network time synchronization using standard protocols including NTP and PTP to align time references across devices.

Technical breakdown

The blog describes two core approaches: assigning timestamps to packets as they are intercepted by the packet broker and synchronizing packet broker systems to a common time source via NTP or PTP. OPB includes a timestamp decoder that extracts seconds, nanoseconds, and origin identifiers and computes inter-device time differences for analysis.

Product update

OPB is presented as a software-based, containerized network packet broker built on a SONiC network operating environment and exposes configuration controls to enable or disable timestamping and to set timestamps at interface and stage levels. The vendor shows command-line examples for enabling ingress or egress timestamping and assigning source identifiers for timestamp origin.

Operational impact

The blog lists operational uses for packet timestamps including locating congestion points, tracing flow paths, validating packet arrival order, and correlating events for security investigations. It also notes that timestamps aid troubleshooting by creating a consistent chronological view and can support dynamic path adjustments to mitigate congestion.

Aviz Networks' Open Packet Broker adds packet timestamping and time synchronization features to enable precise timing analysis across network paths; this supports troubleshooting, performance measurement, and security investigations. This “Blog Signals brief” is a fact-based summary of the vendor blog.