Method and system for probing in a network environment

• US 20030145079A1
• Filed: 01/31/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Vijayan, Geetha, Olsson, Stig Arne, Breese, Stephen S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,043,549 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring

Abstract

An example of a solution provided here comprises: providing a script; employing a plurality of probes, including at least one local probe and at least one remote probe; and measuring a client-server application'"'"'s performance, with said probes, according to said script. For example, the following are provided: methods for probing client-server applications in a network environment, systems for executing such methods, and instructions on a computer-usable medium, for executing such methods.

Claims

1. A method for probing services in a network environment, said method comprising:

providing a script;

employing a plurality of probes, including at least one local probe and at least one remote probe;

measuring a client-server application'"'"'s performance, with said probes, according to said script; and

collecting in a database data produced by said measuring.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing at least one value, obtained by said measuring, with at least one threshold value.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

reporting results of said comparing.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said comparing further comprises:

utilizing said at least one threshold value derived from a service level agreement.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing data from said at least one local probe with data from said at least one remote probe.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said measuring further comprises:

measuring availability.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said measuring further comprises:

measuring response time for at least one request.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said employing further comprises:

placing at least one remote probe on an intranet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said employing further comprises:

placing at least one remote probe on the Internet.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said providing a script further comprises defining a set of transactions that are frequently performed by end users; and

said employing further comprises placing at least one remote probe at each location having a relatively large population of end users.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said employing further comprises at least one of:

employing a component probe;

employing an application probe; and

employing a network probe.

12. A method for probing services in a network environment, said method comprising:

providing a script;

employing a plurality of probes, including at least one local probe and at least one remote probe;

providing an iterative process including a-d below;

a. measuring a client-server application'"'"'s performance according to said script;

b. sending to a database data produced by said measuring;

c. waiting for a set interval;

d. repeating the above three steps until said iterative process is terminated;

with said at least one local probe, executing said iterative process; and

with said at least one remote probe, executing said iterative process.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

comparing at least one value obtained by said measuring with at least one threshold value.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

comparing data from said at least one local probe with data from said at least one remote probe.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said measuring further comprises:

measuring response time for at least one request.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said employing further comprises:

placing at least one remote probe on an intranet.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said employing further comprises:

placing at least one remote probe on the Internet.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein:

said providing a script further comprises defining a set of transactions that are frequently performed by end users; and

said employing further comprises placing at least one remote probe at each location having a relatively large population of end users.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein said employing further comprises at least one of:

employing a component probe;

employing an application probe; and

employing a network probe.

20. A method for probing services in a network environment, said method comprising:

providing a script;

obtaining at least one local probe measurement of a client-server application'"'"'s performance, according to said script;

obtaining at least one remote probe measurement of said client-server application'"'"'s performance, according to said script;

comparing at least one of said measurements with at least one threshold value; and

reporting results of said comparing.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said comparing further comprises:

deriving said at least one threshold value from a service level agreement.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein:

said obtaining at least one remote probe measurement further comprises measuring response time for a request; and

said obtaining at least one local probe measurement further comprises measuring response time for said request.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

comparing said at least one local probe measurement with said at least one remote probe measurement.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising at least one of:

employing a component probe;

employing an application probe; and

employing a network probe.

25. A system for probing services in a network environment, said system comprising:

a script;

a plurality of probes, including at least one local probe and at least one remote probe;

means for measuring a client-server application'"'"'s performance, with said probes, according to said script; and

means for collecting in a database data produced by said measuring.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

means for comparing at least one value, obtained by said means for measuring, with at least one threshold value.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising:

means for reporting results of said comparing.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein said means for comparing further comprises:

means for utilizing said at least one threshold value derived from a service level agreement.

29. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

means for comparing data from said at least one local probe with data from said at least one remote probe.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein said means for measuring further comprises:

means for measuring availability.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein said means for measuring further comprises:

means for measuring response time for at least one request.

32. The system of claim 25, wherein said plurality of probes further comprises:

at least one remote probe placed on an intranet.

33. The system of claim 25, wherein said plurality of probes further comprises:

at least one remote probe placed on the Internet.

34. The system of claim 25, wherein:

said script further comprises a set of transactions that are frequently performed by end users; and

said plurality of probes further comprises at least one remote probe placed at each location having a relatively large population of end users.

35. The system of claim 25, wherein said plurality of probes further comprises at least one of:

a component probe;

an application probe; and

a network probe.

36. A computer-usable medium having computer-executable instructions for probing services in a network environment, said computer-executable instructions comprising:

a script;

means for employing a plurality of probes, including at least one local probe and at least one remote probe;

means for measuring a client-server application'"'"'s performance, with said probes, according to said script; and

means for collecting in a database data produced by said measuring.

37. The computer-usable medium of claim 36, further comprising:

means for comparing at least one value, obtained by said means for measuring, with at least one threshold value.

38. The computer-usable medium of claim 37, further comprising:

means for reporting results of said comparing.

39. The computer-usable medium of claim 37, wherein said means for comparing further comprises:

means for utilizing said at least one threshold value derived from a service level agreement.

40. The computer-usable medium of claim 36, further comprising:

means for comparing data from said at least one local probe with data from said at least one remote probe.

41. The computer-usable medium of claim 36, wherein said means for measuring further comprises:

means for measuring availability.

42. The computer-usable medium of claim 36, wherein said means for measuring further comprises:

means for measuring response time for at least one request.

43. The computer-usable medium of claim 36, wherein said means for employing a plurality of probes further comprises:

means for employing at least one remote probe placed on an intranet.

44. The computer-usable medium of claim 36, wherein said means for employing a plurality of probes further comprises:

means for employing at least one remote probe placed on the Internet.

45. The computer-usable medium of claim 36, wherein:

said script further comprises a set of transactions that are frequently performed by end users; and

said means for employing a plurality of probes further comprises means for employing at least one remote probe placed at each location having a relatively large population of end users.

46. The computer-usable medium of claim 36, wherein said means for employing a plurality of probes further comprises at least one of:

means for employing a component probe;

means for employing an application probe; and

means for employing a network probe.