Methods, apparatuses and systems relating to the control and application
of policies for routing data over a computer network, such as the
Internet. Some implementations of the invention facilitate the
configuration, deployment and/or maintenance of network routing policies.
Some implementations of the invention are particularly useful for
controlling the routing of data among autonomous systems or
organizations. Certain implementations allow for dynamic modification of
routing policy based on such factors as current Internet performance,
load sharing, user-defined parameters, and time of day. In one
embodiment, the present invention provides methods, apparatuses and
systems implementing enhanced network path testing methodologies that
enhance the efficiency of processes associated with testing of a network
path, while reducing the perceived intrusiveness of test packets
associated with such metrics tests.