Executable application network impact and load characteristic estimation system

• US 20030158930A1
• Filed: 01/22/2003
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerner Innovation, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Mc Bride, Edmund Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,984,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 41/5096 wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/022 by sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/026 using flow identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/14 using software, i.e. software packages network security related monitoring H04L63/1408
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A network guidelines estimator (NGE) estimates a network load for each software application operating in a test network to determine network load metrics for each software application. A network load estimator (NLE) estimates a network load for one or more software applications concurrently operating in a production network responsive to the network load metrics of each of the one or more software applications. A network load analyzer (NLA) analyzes the network load for the one or more software applications concurrently operating in the production network to determine an actual network load for the production network.

Claims

1. A system for estimating network load comprising:

a network guidelines estimator for estimating a network load for each software application operating in a network to determine network load metrics for each software application; and

a network load estimator for estimating a network load for one or more software applications concurrently operating in a network responsive to the network load metrics of each of the one or more software applications.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the network guidelines estimator estimates the network load for each software application while operating in a test network.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein a distributor of the software application performs the estimate by the network guidelines estimator.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein a manufacturer of the software application performs the estimate by the network guidelines estimator.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the network load metrics for each software application are provided with the software application to a buyer when purchased from a seller of the software application.

6. A system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a network load analyzer for determining an actual network load for one or more software applications concurrently operating in a production network.

7. A system according to claim 6 wherein the network load determined at least one of the network guidelines estimator and the network load estimator is modified responsive to the actual network load determined by the network load analyzer.

8. A network guidelines estimator comprising:

a processor for estimating a network load for each software application operating in a network to determine network load metrics for each software application, wherein the network load metrics are used by a network load estimator for estimating a network load for one or more software applications concurrently operating in a network responsive to the network load metrics of each software application.

9. A network load estimator comprising:

a processor for estimating a network capacity for one or more software applications concurrently operating in a network responsive to predetermined network load metrics of each software application, wherein the predetermined network load metrics represent a network load for each software application operating in a network.

10. Computer readable product comprising:

an executable application adapted to operate in a network; and

data representing network load metrics associated with said executable application and usable in estimating a network load representative value for said executable application operating in the network.

11. Computer readable product according to claim 10, wherein said network load metrics are adapted to be used by a network load estimator for estimating a network load for one or more executable applications concurrently operating in a network responsive to said network load metrics.

12. Computer readable product according to claim 10, wherein said network load metrics comprise at least one of:

(a) an estimated average number of bytes transferred in a time interval using said application, (b) an estimated maximum number of bytes transferred in a time interval using said application, (c) an estimated minimum number of bytes transferred in a time interval using said application, (d) a client'"'"'s average network load factor, (e) an average data packet size, (f) an average number of request/response pairs in an application transaction, and (g) an average number of bytes transferred between a client and at least one server when executing an application transaction.

13. Computer readable product according to claim 12, wherein said average number comprises at least one of, (a) median, (b) arithmetic mean and (c) arithmetic mean adjusted in response to a confidence level.

14. A system for estimating network bandwidth capacity used by at least one of a plurality of concurrently operating executable applications, comprising:

an interface processor for receiving user entered parameters including,

a first parameter for use in identifying a number of user workstations employing a first application in a system configuration, and

a second parameter for use in identifying an average proportion of said number of user workstations concurrently executing said first application; and

a data analyzer for determining data for use in identifying a proportion of said network bandwidth capacity used by said number of user workstations concurrently executing said first application based on said first and second parameters as well as a predetermined parameter.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein

said average proportion comprises at least one of, (a) an arithmetical mean proportion and (b) an arithmetical mean proportion adjusted in response to a standard deviation or variance measure.

16. A system according to claim 14, wherein

said arithmetical mean proportion adjusted in response to said standard deviation or said variance measure is also adjusted in response to a number of samples involved.

17. A system according to claim 14, wherein

said user workstations comprise devices capable of operating said first application and consuming network bandwidth capacity including at least one of, (a) computers, (b) processing devices, (c) processing devices communicating using wireless communication, (d) phone devices and (e) personal digital assistant devices.

18. A system according to claim 14, wherein

said second parameter comprises said number of user workstations concurrently executing said first application.

19. A system according to claim 14, wherein

said predetermined parameter is a load factor identifying an average network bandwidth capacity used in transferring data, from a user workstation executing said first application, to a remote device via said network.

20. A system according to claim 14, wherein

said interface processor receives user entered parameters including,

a first parameter for use in identifying a number of user workstations employing first and second applications in a system configuration,

a second parameter for use in identifying an average proportion of said number of user workstations concurrently executing said first application;

a third parameter for use in identifying an average proportion of said number of user workstations concurrently executing said second application; and

said data analyzer determines said data for use in identifying said proportion of said network bandwidth capacity used by said number of user workstations concurrently executing said first and second applications based on said first, second and third parameters as well as predetermined parameters.

21. A system according to claim 20, wherein

said data analyzer derives said data for use in identifying said proportion of said network bandwidth capacity used by said number of user workstations concurrently executing said first and second applications by summing,

(a) estimated network bandwidth capacity used by said number of user workstations concurrently executing said first application together with

(b) estimated network bandwidth capacity used by said number of user workstations concurrently executing said second application.

22. A system according to claim 20, wherein

said data analyzer provides data for use in separately identifying,

said proportion of said network bandwidth capacity used by said number of user workstations concurrently executing said first application and

said proportion of said network bandwidth capacity used by said number of user workstations concurrently executing said second application.

23. A system according to claim 20, wherein

said predetermined parameters comprise,

a first load factor identifying an average network bandwidth capacity used in transferring data via said network from a user workstation executing said first application to a remote device, and

a second load factor identifying an average network bandwidth capacity used in transferring data via said network from a user workstation executing said second application to a remote device.

24. A system according to claim 20, wherein

said data for use in identifying said proportion of said network bandwidth capacity used by said number of user workstations concurrently executing said first application comprises at least one of, (a) a figure representing an estimated proportion of said network bandwidth capacity and (b) a figure identifying network bandwidth capacity used.

25. A user interface system supporting user estimation network bandwidth capacity used by at least one of a plurality of concurrently operating executable applications, comprising the steps of:

initiating generation of at least one display image supporting user entry of,

a first parameter for use in identifying a number of user workstations employing a first application in a system configuration, and

a second parameter for use in identifying an average proportion of said number of user workstations concurrently executing said first application;

an icon for initiating determination of data for use in identifying a proportion of said network bandwidth capacity used by said number of user workstations concurrently executing said first application based on said first and second parameters as well as a predetermined parameter and for initiating display of said data for use in identifying said proportion of said network bandwidth capacity via said at least one display image.

26. A system for estimating average delay in network response attributable to an individual application of a plurality of concurrently operating executable applications, comprising:

a data analyzer for determining an estimate of average delay in network response attributable to an individual application based on parameters, associated with said individual application, including,

a first parameter representing an estimated average number of request and response message pairs occurring during operation of said individual application,

a second parameter representing an estimated average data traffic size from a user workstation to at least one server,

a third parameter representing an estimated average data traffic size from said at least one server to said user workstation,

a fourth parameter representing an estimated average data traffic number of packets from said user workstation to said at least one server, and

a fifth parameter representing an estimated average data traffic number of packets from said at least one server to said user workstation; and

an interface processor for processing said determined estimate of average delay in said network response for communication to a device in response to user command.

27. A system according to claim 26, wherein

said average comprises at least one of, (a) an arithmetical mean and (b) an arithmetical mean adjusted in response to a standard deviation or variance measure.

28. A system according to claim 26, wherein

said user workstation comprises a number of user workstations concurrently executing said individual application.

29. A system according to claim 26, wherein

said estimated average data traffic size is measured in bytes.

30. A system according to claim 26, wherein

said estimated average data traffic number of packets comprises an estimated average data traffic number of data frames.

31. A method for estimating network bandwidth capacity used by at least one of a plurality of concurrently operating executable applications, comprising the steps of:

receiving user entered parameters including,

a first parameter for use in identifying a number of user workstations employing a first application in a system configuration, and

a second parameter for use in identifying an average proportion of said number of user workstations concurrently executing said first application; and

determining data for use in identifying a proportion of said network bandwidth capacity used by said number of user workstations concurrently executing said first application based on said first and second parameters as well as a predetermined parameter.