Monitoring of node.js applications

• US 10,257,316 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2014
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Melikyan, Dmitri
• Primary Examiner(s): Henderson, Esther B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mahmud, Golam
• Application Number:
  US14/229,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20150281035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,836 Days
• Field of Search: 709224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/815 Virtual middleware or OS functionality using virtual machines to implement generic software techniques for error detection or fault masking G06F11/1484
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/87 Monitoring of transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

A system creates and monitors virtual threads within a node.js application. Callbacks executing within an event loop for a node.js system are identified and may be traced. The callbacks are associated with a context, and resources associated with execution flow during each context may be identified. Callback registrations, callback calls, and callback completion messages may each be detected and recorded. Each registration, call, and completion message is associated with a virtual thread or other transaction identifier. The timing information for each virtual thread and other resource usage for each context may then be identified, stitched together for distributed transactions and reported to a user to provide more detail for node.js application processing.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a business transaction in a node.js application, the method comprising:

detecting a plurality of application functions associated with a business transaction in the node.js application, the application functions associated with callback registrations, callback calls, and callback completions on an application server;

assigning a transaction identifier to each callback registrations not already associated with a transaction identifier of the business transaction;

setting and updating a contextual state for the application functions based on the detection of the callback registrations, callback calls and callback completions;

using the transaction identifier, tracing the application functions including resources associated with carrying out the application functions;

collecting runtime data indicative of performance of the business transaction associated with the traced application functions;

storing the runtime data indicative of the performance of the business transaction associated with the traced application functions;

receiving event information at a tracer module; and

stitching together the resources associated with carrying out the traced application functions associated with the node.js application by stitching together the event information and the assigned transaction identifier to determine a virtual thread and runtime data for each virtual thread associated with the node.js application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein setting and updating a contextual state include:

setting an initial contextual state to a virtual thread value for each callback registration;

changing the initially set contextual state to a different virtual thread value associated with each callback call when each callback call is detected; and

changing the virtual thread value of the contextual state associated with each callback call to a different virtual thread associated with each callback completion when each callback completion is detected.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the application functions include detecting messages associated with the application functions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein setting and updating a contextual state for the application functions include:

setting the contextual state to a particular state associated with the transaction identifier of each application function.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the application functions are performed by a single virtual thread;

and

switching the single virtual thread to a virtual state of a virtual thread value associated with each application function as the single virtual thread performs at least a portion of each application function.

3. The method of 1, wherein the application functions include an entry point, HTTP request, or a related backend call.

4. The method of 1, wherein the application functions are detected by intercepting the callbackregistrations.

5. The method of 1, wherein the event information is reported upon detecting a callback call.

6. The method of 1, wherein the event information is reported upon detecting a callback completion.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform operations for monitoring a business transaction in a node.js application, the operations including:

detecting a plurality of application functions associated with a business transaction in the node.js application, the application functions associated with callback registrations, callback calls, and callback completions on an application server;

assigning a transaction identifier to each callback registrations not already associated with a transaction identifier of the business transaction;

setting and updating a contextual state for the application functions based on the detection of the callback registrations, callback calls and callback completions;

using the transaction identifier, tracing the application functions including resources associated with carrying out the application functions;

collecting runtime data indicative of performance of the business transaction associated with the traced application functions;

storing the runtime data indicative of the performance of the business transaction associated with the traced application functions;

receiving event information at a tracer module; and

stitching together the resources associated with carrying out the traced application functions associated with the node.js application by stitching together the event information and the assigned transaction identifier to determine a virtual thread and runtime data for each virtual thread associated with the node.js application.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein setting and updating a contextual state include:

setting an initial contextual state to a virtual thread value for each callback registration;

changing the initially set contextual state to a different virtual thread value associated with each callback call when each callback call is detected; and

changing the virtual thread value of the contextual state associated with each callback call to a different virtual thread associated with each callback completion when each callback completion is detected.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein detecting the application functions include detecting messages associated with the application functions.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein setting and updating a contextual state for the application functions include:

setting the contextual state to a particular state associated with the transaction identifier of each application function.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the application functions are performed by a single virtual thread;

and

switching the single virtual thread to a virtual state of a virtual thread value associated with each application function as the single virtual thread performs at least a portion of each application function.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of 10, wherein the application functions include an entry point, HTTP request, or a related backend call.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of 10, wherein the application functions are detected by intercepting the callback registrations.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of 10, wherein the event information is reported upon detecting a callback call.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of 10, wherein the event information is reported upon detecting a callback completion.

19. A system for monitoring a business transaction, comprising:

an application server including one or more processors and memory; and

one or more modules stored in memory and executable by at least one of the one or more processors to monitor a business transaction in a node.js application including;

detect a plurality of application functions associated with a business transaction in the node.js application, the application functions associated with callback registrations, callback calls, and callback completions on an application server;

assign a transaction identifier to each callback registrations not already associated with a transaction identifier of the business transaction;

set and updating a contextual state for the application functions based on the detection of the callback registrations, callback calls and callback completions;

use the transaction identifier to trace the application functions including resources associated with carrying out the application functions;

collect runtime data indicative of performance of the business transaction associated with the traced application functions;

store the runtime data indicative of the performance of the business transaction associated with the traced application functions;

receive event information at a tracer module; and

stitch together the resources associated with carrying out the traced application functions associated with the node.js application by stitching together the event information and the assigned transaction identifier to determine a virtual thread and runtime data for each virtual thread associated with the node.js application.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the one or more modules stored in memory are executable by at least one of the one or more processors to set and update the contextual state including:

set an initial contextual state to a virtual thread value for each callback registration;

change the initially set contextual state to a different virtual thread value associated with each callback call when each callback call is detected; and

change the virtual thread value of the contextual state associated with each callback call to a different virtual thread associated with each callback completion when each callback completion is detected.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the one or more modules stored in memory are executable by at least one of the one or more processors to detect the application functions including detect messages associated with the application functions.

26. The system medium of claim 19, wherein the one or more modules stored in memory are executable by at least one of the one or more processors to set and update a contextual state for the application functions including:

setting the contextual state to a particular state associated with the transaction identifier of each application function.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the application functions are performed by a single virtual thread;

and

switch the single virtual thread to a virtual state of a virtual thread value associated with each application function as the single virtual thread performs at least a portion of each application function.

21. The system of 19, wherein the application functions include an entry point, HTTP request, or a related backend call.

22. The system of 19, wherein the one or more modules stored in memory and executable by at least one of the one or more processors to detect the application functions by intercepting the callback registrations.

23. The system of 19, wherein the one or more modules stored in memory are executable by at least one of the one or more processors to report the event information upon detecting a callback call.

24. The system of 19, wherein the one or more modules stored in memory are executable by at least one of the one or more processors to report the event information upon detecting a callback completion.