A user interface for graphical exploration of packet trace information

A user interface for a protocol analyzer or similar network management software product provides a graphical representation of the behavior of packets in a packet trace with respect to time, graphically showing a transmission time, source node and destination node. In a preferred implementation, the user interface, called a "bounce diagram," contains a time axis, and a number of node lines parallel thereto, each node line associated with a node label for a node in the packet trace. Each packet in the packet trace is represented by a packet arrow which extends from a node line for the source node to a node line for the destination node of the packet. The packet arrow is preferably color coded to indicate the size of the packet. Preferably, there is a packet density graph which indicates in each time interval a number or percentage of packets of the packet trace transmitted during the time interval. The packet density graph may be color coded to indicate the average size of packets during each time interval. The bounce diagram is interactive and responds to a user selection of a packet arrow by displaying a pop-up window with the packet size, source and destination node addresses, transmission time, and protocol decodes for the packet. The user may also zoom in and out of the diagram by selecting an area thereof, with the diagram automatically rescaling the time axis to correspond to the time within the selected area.