System and method for monitoring computer application and resource utilization

• US 20020178206A1
• Filed: 02/15/2002
• Published: 11/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerner Innovation, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Smith, David Wesley
• Granted Patent: US 7,325,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring

Abstract

A system and a method for monitoring computer application and resource utilization are presented. In one embodiment, a list of different users associated with different entities or customers of a shared computer is maintained. A second list of different applications invoked by one or more of the different users is also maintained. A third list including different programs employed by the different applications invoked by the different users, including a weighting factor for each program is also maintained. These records are then used to identify operation usage and/or cost characteristics of the different applications by particular users associated with different entities of the shared computer, in response to an event.

Claims

1. In a system supporting shared access to a plurality of concurrently operating applications by multiple users associated with one or more entities, a method for monitoring individual application utilization, comprising the steps of:

during a time interval,

maintaining a first record of different users associated with an entity;

maintaining a second record of different applications invoked by at least one of said different users;

maintaining a third record of use of an executable program employed by said different applications invoked by said at least one different user, said record of use supporting allocation of proportionate usage of said program between said different applications; and

employing said first, second and third records for intermittently compiling data identifying operation usage characteristics of individual applications of said different applications by particular users associated with said entity in response to a predetermined event.

2. A method according to claim 1, including the step of

allocating usage of said program between said different applications by determining an estimate of relative duration of use of said program by individual applications of said different applications.

3. A method according to claim 2, including the step of

determining and recording weighting factors associated with individual applications of said different applications, said weighting factors representing an estimate of relative duration of use of said program by individual applications of said different applications.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of compiling data comprises

compiling data identifying at least one of, (a) processor time used by an individual application, (b) a number of file accesses made by an individual application, and (c) a number of storage access requests made by an individual application.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said step of compiling data comprises

compiling data supporting identifying relative operation usage characteristics by an individual application as a proportion of said different applications.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said predetermined event comprises at least one of, (a) a data access request, (b) a storage access request, (c) termination of use of an individual application, (d) termination of a user operation session and (e) a periodically generated command.

7. A method according to claim 1, including the step of

maintaining a fourth record associating a processing device with at least one of, (a) a user, (b) an entity and (c) an individual application.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein

data elements of said second and third records are dynamically created during a session of operation.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said executable program employed by said different applications comprises a program providing a function shared by said different applications.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said entity comprises at least one of, (a) a customer, (b) a company, (c) an organization and (d) an identifiable group of users.

11. In a system supporting shared access to a plurality of concurrently operating applications by multiple users associated with one or more entities, a method for monitoring individual application utilization, comprising the steps of:

during a session of user operation,

maintaining a first record of different users associated with an entity;

maintaining a second record of different applications invoked by at least one of said different users;

maintaining a third record associating a processing device with said at least one of said different users; and

employing said first, second and third records for intermittently compiling data identifying at least one of, (a) processor time used by an individual application, (b) a number of file accesses made by an individual application, and (c) a number of storage access requests made by an individual application of said different applications by particular users associated with said entity in response to a predetermined event.

12. A method according to claim 11, including the step of

maintaining a fourth record for use in allocating proportionate usage to an individual application of an executable program shared by a plurality of said different applications.

13. A method according to claim 12, including the step of

allocating proportionate usage of said program between said plurality of said different applications by determining an estimate of relative duration of use of said program by individual applications of said different applications.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein said step of maintaining a third record includes

maintaining a third record associating said processing device with said entity.

15. A method according to claim 11, wherein

said first, second and third records are maintained in at least one of, (a) a single file and (b) a plurality of files.

16. A method according to claim 11, wherein said step of intermittently compiling data comprises

intermittently compiling data identifying at least one of, (a) size of storage employed by an individual application, (b) a number of input/output requests made by an individual application, (c) a number of file deletion requests made by an individual application and (d) storage size employed for user data.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said step of generating a record comprises

generating a record for use in at least one of, (a) billing an entity for usage of processing resources, (b) tracking system performance and (c) adaptively adjusting system characteristics to improve system performance.

20. A method according to claim 19, including the step of

deriving said compiled data by intermittently generating data identifying operation usage characteristics of individual applications of said plurality of concurrently operating applications based on accumulated operation data records, said operation usage characteristics being collated for individual users associated with an entity.

17. In a system supporting shared access to a plurality of concurrently operating applications by multiple users associated with one or more entities, a method for monitoring application utilization, comprising the steps of:

maintaining a first record of different users associated with an entity;

maintaining a second record of different applications invoked by at least one of said different users;

maintaining a third record associating a processing device with said at least one of said different users;

employing said first, second and third records for intermittently compiling data identifying at least one of, (a) processor time used by an individual application, (b) a number of file accesses made by an individual application, and (c) a number of storage access requests made by an individual application of said different applications by particular users associated with said entity in response to a predetermined event; and

generating a record based on said compiled data.

19. A user interface system for monitoring individual application utilization of a plurality of concurrently operating applications shared by multiple users associated with one or more entities, comprising the steps of:

initiating display of a first image including a user selectable item for selecting display of image data representing processor utilization collated by individual application for a plurality of concurrently operating applications; and

in response to user selection of said item, initiating display of a second image including compiled data identifying at least one of, (a) processor time used by an individual application, (b) a number of file accesses made by an individual application, and (c) a number of storage access requests made by an individual application of said plurality of concurrently operating applications.

21. A system for monitoring individual application utilization of a plurality of concurrently operating applications shared by multiple users associated with one or more entities, comprising:

a record processor for,

maintaining a first record of different users associated with an entity,

maintaining a second record of different applications invoked by at least one of said different users, and

maintaining a third record of use of an executable program employed by said different applications invoked by said at least one different user, said record of use supporting allocation of proportionate usage of said program between said different applications; and

a data compiler employing said first, second and third records for intermittently compiling data identifying operation usage characteristics of individual applications of said different applications by particular users associated with said entity in response to a predetermined event.

22. A system for monitoring individual application utilization of a plurality of concurrently operating applications shared by multiple users associated with one or more entities, comprising:

a record processor for,

maintaining a first record of different users associated with an entity,

maintaining a second record of different applications invoked by at least one of said different users, and

maintaining a third record associating a processing device with said at least one of said different users; and

a data compiler employing said first, second and third records for intermittently compiling data identifying at least one of, (a) processor time used by an individual application, (b) a number of file accesses made by an individual application, and (c) a number of storage access requests made by an individual application of said different applications by particular users associated with said entity in response to a predetermined event.