User perception tool

• US 20030187617A1
• Filed: 03/26/2002
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Moore, John A., Gillespie, Brian J., Tracey, David C., Gottesman, Emma K., Murphy, Stephen F., Buffo, Massimo
• Granted Patent: US 6,856,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/186
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for measuring performance of a computer system. The method includes generating a first setpoint, generating an event, timing at least a portion of the event, comparing the timed portion of the event with the first setpoint, and producing an indication of undesirable performance in response to the timed portion of the event being greater than the first setpoint. The apparatus comprises a storage unit adapted to store a user perception tool, and a control unit adapted to execute the user perception tool, wherein the user perception tool causes the control unit to measure latency of a computer system and infer from the latency a user perception of performance.

Claims

1. A method of measuring performance of a computer system, the method comprising:

generating a first setpoint;

generating an event;

timing at least a portion of the event;

comparing the timed portion of the event with the first setpoint; and

producing an indication of undesirable performance in response to the timed portion of the event being greater than the first setpoint.

2. A method of measuring performance of a computer system, the method comprising:

timing an event to create a time;

generating a data structure of data; and

comparing the time with the data structure of data to create results of the computer system performance.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein timing the event to create the time comprises timing an expose event.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the data structure of data comprises gathering survey data about user perception of performance on the computer system with various loads.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the data structure of data comprises determining a maximum time such that a user perceives the performance to be tolerable.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein comparing the time with the data structure of data to create results of the computer system performance comprises determining whether the time is tolerable to users of the computer system.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein comparing the time with the data structure of data to create results of the computer system performance comprises storing the results on a storage unit.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein comparing the time with the data structure of data to create results of the computer system performance comprises publishing the results on a display device.

9. A method of measuring performance of a computer system, the method comprising:

timing an expose event to create a time;

generating a data structure of data from human surveys; and

comparing the time with the data structure of data to create results of the computer system performance.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein timing the expose event to create the time comprises recording the amount of time needed to open an empty window.

11. A method of measuring performance of a computer system, the method comprising:

launching an empty window;

timing an expose event of the empty window to create a time;

generating a data structure of data from surveys about user perception of performance on the computer system with various loads;

generating a maximum time such that a user will find the performance of the computer system to be acceptable; and

comparing the time with the maximum time to create results of the computer system performance.

12. An article comprising one or more machine-readable storage media containing instructions that when executed enable a processor to:

generate a first setpoint;

generate an event;

time at least a portion of the event;

compare the timed portion of the event with the first setpoint; and

produce an indication of undesirable performance in response to the timed portion of the event being greater than the first setpoint.

13. An article comprising one or more machine-readable storage media containing instructions that when executed enable a processor to:

time an event to create a time;

generate a data structure of data; and

compare the time with the data structure of data to create results of the computer system performance.

14. The article of claim 13, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to time an expose event.

15. The article of claim 13, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to gather survey data about user perception of performance on the computer system with various loads.

16. The article of claim 13, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to determine a maximum time such that a user perceives the performance to be tolerable.

17. The article of claim 13, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to determine whether the time is tolerable to users of the computer system.

18. The article of claim 13, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to store the results on a storage unit.

19. The article of claim 13, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to publish the results on a display device.

20. An article comprising one or more machine-readable storage media containing instructions that when executed enable a processor to:

time an expose event to create a time;

generate a data structure of data from human surveys; and

compare the time with the data structure of data to create results of the computer system performance.

22. An article comprising one or more machine-readable storage media containing instructions that when executed enable a processor to:

launch an empty window;

time an expose event of the empty window to create a time;

generate a data structure of data from surveys about user perception of performance on the computer system with various loads;

generate a maximum time such that a user will find the performance of the computer system to be acceptable; and

compare the time with the maximum time to create results of the computer system performance.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

a storage unit adapted to store a user perception tool; and

a control unit adapted to execute the user perception tool, wherein the user perception tool causes the control unit to measure latency of a computer system and infer from the latency a user perception of performance.

21. The article of claim 27, wherein the instructions when executed enable the processor to record the amount of time needed to open an empty window.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a plurality of client computers, wherein the client computers have access to the storage unit and the control unit.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, farther comprising an operating system adapted to execute the user perception tool.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a shared network device interface adapted to allow a plurality of client computers to access a shared network device.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising an Internet interface adapted to allow a plurality of client computers to access the Internet.