Method and system for performance reporting in a network environment

• US 20030145080A1
• 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 8,086,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5032 Generating service level reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• 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: collecting data from a plurality of probes, including at least one local probe and at least one remote probe; and reporting the data. For example, the reporting may comprise: reporting a first subset of the data that originated from a local probe; reporting a second subset of the data that originated from remote probes; and employing a similar reporting format for said first subset and said second subset. Thus comparison of data from a local probe and data from remote probes may be facilitated. Another example comprises: receiving data from at least one probe; comparing said data with at least one threshold value derived from a service level agreement; and outputting in a special mode any measured response time value that is greater than the corresponding threshold value. The following are provided: methods for performance reporting 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 communicating performance information, said method comprising:

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

reporting said data, at least in part.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said reporting further comprises:

reporting a first subset of said data that originates from said at least one local probe;

reporting a second subset of said data that originates from said at least one remote probe; and

employing a similar reporting format for said first subset and said second subset;

whereby comparison of said first subset and said second subset is facilitated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said reporting further comprises outputting a plurality of items chosen from:

response time data;

availability data;

probe location;

Internet service provider information;

time of script execution;

threshold values;

service level agreement violations; and

error messages.

4. The method of claim 1:

further comprising comparing said data with at least one threshold value derived from a service level agreement; and

wherein said reporting further comprises reporting results of said comparing.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an alert when said data indicates an error.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said error is a measured response time value greater than a corresponding threshold value.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said alert is provided via a system management computer.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing a clearing message when said error no longer is detected.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said reporting further comprises outputting in a special mode any measured response time value that is greater than the corresponding threshold value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said outputting in a special mode further comprises outputting in a special color.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said special color is red.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said reporting further comprises outputting in a special mode an indication of an application'"'"'s lack of availability.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said outputting in a special mode further comprises outputting in a special color.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said special color is red.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said reporting further comprises reporting results of each script execution by said plurality of probes.

16. A method for communicating performance information, said method comprising:

receiving data from at least one probe;

comparing said data with at least one threshold value derived from a service level agreement; and

reporting results of said comparing.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

performing said receiving, said comparing, and said reporting, for a plurality of probes, including at least one local probe and at least one remote probe.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said reporting further comprises:

reporting a first subset of said data that originates from said at least one local probe;

reporting a second subset of said data that originates from said at least one remote probe; and

employing a similar reporting format for said first subset and said second subset;

whereby comparison of said first subset and said second subset is facilitated.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing an alert when said data indicates an error.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said error is a measured response time value greater than the corresponding threshold value.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said alert is provided via a system management computer.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing a clearing message when said error no longer is detected.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein said reporting further comprises outputting in a special mode any measured response time value that is greater than the corresponding threshold value.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said outputting in a special mode further comprises outputting in a special color.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said special color is red.

26. A method for communicating performance information, said method comprising:

receiving data from at least one probe;

comparing said data with at least one threshold value derived from a service level agreement; and

outputting in a special mode any measured response time value that is greater than the corresponding threshold value.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said outputting in a special mode further comprises outputting in a special color.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said special color is red.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

performing said receiving, said comparing, and said outputting, for a plurality of probes, including at least one local probe and at least one remote probe.

30. A system for communicating performance information, said system comprising:

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

means for reporting said data, at least in part.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein said means for reporting further comprises:

means for reporting a first subset of said data that originates from said at least one local probe;

means for reporting a second subset of said data that originates from said at least one remote probe; and

means for employing a similar reporting format for said first subset and said second subset;

whereby comparison of said first subset and said second subset is facilitated.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein said means for reporting further comprises means for outputting a plurality of items chosen from:

response time data;

availability data;

probe location;

Internet service provider information;

time of script execution;

threshold values;

service level agreement violations; and

error messages.

33. The system of claim 30:

further comprising means for comparing said data with at least one threshold value derived from a service level agreement; and

wherein said means for reporting further comprises means for reporting results of said comparing.

34. The system of claim 30, further comprising means for providing an alert when said data indicates an error.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein said error is a measured response time value greater than a corresponding threshold value.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein said alert is provided via a system management computer.

37. The system of claim 34, further comprising means for providing a clearing message when said error no longer is detected.

38. The system of claim 30, wherein said means for reporting further comprises means for outputting in a special mode any measured response time value that is greater than the corresponding threshold value.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein said means for outputting in a special mode further comprises means for outputting in a special color.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein said special color is red.

41. The system of claim 30, wherein said reporting further comprises means for outputting in a special mode an indication of an application'"'"'s lack of availability.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein said means for outputting in a special mode further comprises means for outputting in a special color.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein said special color is red.

44. The system of claim 30, wherein said means for reporting further comprises means for reporting results of each script execution by said plurality of probes.

45. A computer-usable medium having computer-executable instructions for communicating performance information, said computer-executable instructions comprising:

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

means for reporting said data, at least in part.

46. The computer-usable medium of claim 45, wherein said means for reporting further comprises:

means for reporting a first subset of said data that originates from said at least one local probe;

means for reporting a second subset of said data that originates from said at least one remote probe; and

means for employing a similar reporting format for said first subset and said second subset;

whereby comparison of said first subset and said second subset is facilitated.

47. The computer-usable medium of claim 45, wherein said means for reporting further comprises means for outputting a plurality of items chosen from:

response time data;

availability data;

probe location;

Internet service provider information;

time of script execution;

threshold values;

service level agreement violations; and

error messages.

48. The computer-usable medium of claim 45:

further comprising means for comparing said data with at least one threshold value derived from a service level agreement; and

wherein said means for reporting further comprises means for reporting results of said comparing.

49. The computer-usable medium of claim 45, further comprising means for providing an alert when said data indicates an error.

50. The computer-usable medium of claim 49, wherein said error is a measured response time value greater than a corresponding threshold value.

51. The computer-usable medium of claim 49, wherein said alert is provided via a system management computer.

52. The computer-usable medium of claim 49, further comprising means for providing a clearing message when said error no longer is detected.

53. The computer-usable medium of claim 45, wherein said means for reporting further comprises means for outputting in a special mode any measured response time value that is greater than the corresponding threshold value.

54. The computer-usable medium of claim 53, wherein said means for outputting in a special mode further comprises means for outputting in a special color.

55. The computer-usable medium of claim 54, wherein said special color is red.

56. The computer-usable medium of claim 45, wherein said reporting further comprises means for outputting in a special mode an indication of an application'"'"'s lack of availability.

57. The computer-usable medium of claim 56, wherein said means for outputting in a special mode further comprises means for outputting in a special color.

58. The computer-usable medium of claim 57, wherein said special color is red.

59. The computer-usable medium of claim 45, wherein said means for reporting further comprises means for reporting results of each script execution by said plurality of probes.