Network interaction analysis arrangement

• US 20040177141A1
• Filed: 03/06/2003
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aurea Software Incorporated (ESW Capital, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Actional Corp. (Progress Software Corporation)
• Inventors: Clements, Michael R., Foody, Daniel M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,330,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/064 involving time analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV

Abstract

In a network through which service providing nodes are interconnected, one or more software elements at each service providing node process the network operations. A client interceptor coupled in an examine node to a selected software element intercepts transmissions from the software element to record transmission flow control information. A server interceptor coupled in the examine mode to the selected software element intercepts transmissions to the software element to record transmission flow control information. An administrative node of the network examines the transmission flow control information from the selected software elements to assess network operation.

Claims

1. A network in which service providing nodes are interconnected, comprising:

one or more software elements at each service providing node for processing operations of the network;

an interceptor coupled in the examine mode to a selected software element of the one or more software elements for intercepting at least one of transmissions from the selected software element and transmissions to the selected software element to record information pertaining to the transmissions; and

an examination unit responsive to the transmission pertaining information recorded by the interceptor for examining operation of a network task.

2. A network according to claim 1, wherein a first interceptor is coupled to the selected software element to intercept transmissions from the selected software element and a second interceptor is coupled to the selected software element to intercept transmissions to the selected software element.

3. The network according to claim 2, wherein the examination unit includes a selection unit for selecting the software elements in which the first and second interceptors are coupled to the selected software elements.

4. The network according to claim 3, wherein each selected software element includes a storage unit for storing the transmission information pertaining records of the first and second interceptors coupled to the selected software element.

5. The network according to claim 3, wherein the examination unit further comprises a combining unit for combining the transmission information pertaining records from selected software elements to form a set of records of interactions of the selected software elements of the service providing nodes.

6. The network according to claim 5, wherein each transmission information pertaining record of a selected software element includes a logical thread identifier identifying a network task of the selected software element, and wherein the combining unit includes a network task record forming unit responsive to the logical thread identifier of the information pertaining records for forming a group of the transmission information pertaining records of the network task.

7. The network according to claim 6, wherein each transmission information pertaining record in the network task group includes a chain correlation identifier identifying an operation of the selected software element in the network task and an interaction correlation identifier identifying an interaction of the selected software element with another software element and wherein the combining unit includes an interaction record forming unit responsive to the chain correlation identifiers and the interaction correlation identifiers for generating a set of interaction records including data of transmission information pertaining records of the network task.

8. The network according to claim 2, wherein the first interceptor is inserted at an outgoing side of the selected software element isolated from the operation of the selected software element and the second interceptor is inserted at an incoming side of the selected software element isolated from the operation of the selected software element whereby the operation of the selected software element is not affected by the inserted first and second interceptors.

9. The network according to claim 1, wherein the information pertaining to transmission recorded at the interceptor includes data of at least one of response time and error states of an interaction between the selected software element and another software element and data of a time of occurrence of the interaction.

10. The network according to claim 1, wherein the selected software element further comprises a statistics forming unit responsive to the transmission pertaining information at the interceptor coupled to the selected software element for forming data of at least one of interaction counts, failure counts, average response time of the selected software element, average response time of the selected software element when serving requests from another specific software element, percentage of calls to a specific software element that came from another specified software element and percentage of calls from a specified software element that are sent to another specified software element.

11. The network according to claim 2, wherein, in a selected software element initiating a network task, the first interceptor coupled to the selected software element generates a network task identifier for transmission to the software elements engaged in the network task.

12. The network according to claim 11, wherein, in a selected software element sending a request transmission, the coupled first interceptor provides an identifier identifying an operation of the selected software element and an identifier identifying an interaction between the selected software element and a software element receiving the request transmission and associates the selected software element operation identifier with the interaction identifier.

13. The network according to claim 12, wherein, in the request transmission to a receiving selected software element, the second interceptor of the selected receiving software element provides an identifier identifying the operation of the receiving software element, associates the receiving software element identifier with the interaction identifier identifying the interaction between the selected receiving software element and the selected software element sending the request transmission and records the interaction identifier.

14. The network according to claim 13, wherein, in a reply transmission from the selected software element receiving the request, the second interceptor coupled to the selected software element sending the reply transmission removes the association of the interaction identification with the software element operation identifier.

15. The network according to claim 14, wherein, in a reply transmission to the selected software element receiving the reply, the first interceptor coupled to the selected software element receiving the reply transmission, removes the association of the interaction identification with the software element operation identifier.

16. The network according to claim 1, wherein the interceptor of the selected software element includes a detector for detecting an at least one of an error and a failure in the transmission pertaining information and further includes a notifying unit for notifying the examining unit of a network task being processed by the selected software element.

17. The network according to claim 16, wherein the examination unit further includes an analysis unit, responsive to the notification, for requesting information pertaining records of the network task in which the at least one of the error and the failure is detected from the selected software elements.

18. The network according to claim 2, wherein the information pertaining to transmission recorded at the interceptor includes data of at least one of response time and error states of an interaction between the selected software element and another software element and data of a time of occurrence of the interaction.

19. The network according to claim 2, wherein the selected software element further comprises a statistics forming unit responsive to the transmission pertaining information at the interceptor coupled to the selected software element for forming data of at least one of interaction counts, failure counts, average response time of the selected software element, average response time of the selected software element when serving requests from another specific software element, percentage of calls to a specific software element that came from another specified software element and percentage of calls from a specified software element that are sent to another specified software element.

20. In a network having one or more software elements at each of plural service providing nodes, a method of examining interactions among software elements comprising:

intercepting at least one of transmissions from a software element and transmissions to the software element at an interceptor coupled to the software element to record information pertaining to the transmissions; and

examining operations of a network task responsive to the recorded transmission pertaining information.

21. In a network having one or more software elements at each of plural service providing nodes, a method of examining interactions among software elements according to claim 20, wherein the transmissions from a software element are intercepted by a first interceptor and the transmissions to the software element are intercepted by a second interceptor.

22. In a network having one or more software elements at each of plural service providing nodes, a method of examining interactions among software elements according to claim 21, wherein the examination step includes selecting the software elements in which the first and second interceptors are coupled to the selected software elements.

23. In a network having one or more software elements at each of plural service providing nodes, a method of examining interactions among software elements according to claim 22, wherein the transmission information pertaining records of the first and second interceptors coupled to the selected software element are stored in the selected software element.

24. In a network having one or more software elements at each of plural service providing nodes, a method of examining interactions among software elements according to claim 22, wherein the examination step comprises combining the transmission information pertaining records from selected software elements to form a set of records of interactions of the selected software elements of the service providing nodes.

25. In a network having one or more software elements at each of plural service providing nodes, a method of examining interactions among software elements according to claim 24, wherein each transmission information pertaining record of a selected software element includes a logical thread identifier identifying a network task of the selected software element, and wherein the combining step includes forming a group of the information pertaining records of the network task responsive to the logical thread identifier of the information pertaining records.

26. In a network having one or more software elements at each of plural service providing nodes, a method of examining interactions among software elements according to claim 25, wherein each transmission information pertaining record in the network task group includes a chain correlation identifier identifying an operation of the selected software element in the network task and an interaction correlation identifier identifying an interaction of the selected software element with another software element and wherein the combining step generating a set of interaction records including data of transmission information pertaining records of the network task responsive to the chain correlation identifiers and the interaction correlation identifiers.

27. In a network having one or more software elements at each of plural service providing nodes, a method of examining interactions among software elements according to claim 21, wherein the first interceptor is inserted at an outgoing side of the selected software element isolated from the operation of the selected software element and the second interceptor is inserted at an incoming side of the selected software element isolated from the operation of the selected software element whereby the operation of the selected software element is not affected by the inserted first and second interceptors.

28. In a network having one or more software elements at each of plural service providing nodes, a method of examining interactions among software elements according to claim 20, wherein the transmission pertaining information record includes data of at least one of response time and error states of an interaction between the selected software element and another software element and data of a time of occurrence of the interaction.

29. In a network having one or more software elements at each of plural service providing nodes, a method of examining interactions among software elements according to claim 20 further comprising the step of forming a statistical record responsive to the transmission pertaining information at the interceptor coupled to the selected software element including data of at least one of interaction counts, failure counts, average response time of the selected software element, average response time of the selected software element when serving requests from another specific software element, percentage of calls to a specific software element that came from another specified software element and percentage of calls from a specified software element that are sent to another specified software element.

30. In a network having one or more software elements at each of plural service providing nodes, a method of examining interactions among software elements according to claim 21, further comprising the step of initiating a network task by generating a network task identifier in a selected software element initiating the network task for transmission to the software elements engaged in the network task.

31. In a network having one or more software elements at each of plural service providing nodes, a method of examining interactions among software elements according to claim 30, wherein, in a selected software element sending a request transmission, an identifier identifying an operation of the selected software element and an identifier identifying an interaction between the selected software element and a software element receiving the request transmission are provided by the first interceptor and the software element operation identifier is associated with the interaction identifier.

32. In a network having one or more software elements at each of plural service providing nodes, a method of examining interactions among software elements according to claim 31, wherein, in the request transmission to a receiving selected software element, an identifier identifying the operation of the receiving selected software element is provided by the second interceptor of the receiving selected software element, the receiving software element identifier is associated with the interaction identifier identifying the interaction between the selected receiving software element and the software element sending the request transmission and the interaction identifier and the interaction identifier is recorded by the second interceptor of the receiving software element.

33. In a network having one or more software elements at each of plural service providing nodes, a method of examining interactions among software elements according to 32, wherein, in a reply transmission from the selected software element receiving the request, the association of the interaction identifier with the software element identifier is removed in the second interceptor coupled to the selected software element sending the reply transmission.

34. In a network having one or more software elements at each of plural service providing nodes, a method of examining interactions among software elements according to claim 33, wherein, in a reply transmission to the selected software element receiving the reply, the association of the interaction identification with the software element operation identifier is removed in the first interceptor coupled to the selected software element receiving the reply transmission,

35. In a network having one or more software elements at each of plural service providing nodes, a method of examining interactions among software elements according to claim 20, wherein at least one of an error and a failure in the transmission pertaining information is detected in the interceptor of the selected software element and the examination unit is notified of the detected at least one of the error and the failure by the selected software element.

36. In a network having one or more software elements at each of plural service providing nodes, a method of examining interactions among software elements according to claim 35, wherein the examination unit requests transmission pertaining information records of the network task in which the at least one of the error and the failure is detected from the selected software elements responsive to notification of the at least one of the error and the failure.

37. In a network having one or more software elements at each of plural service providing nodes, a method of examining interactions among software elements according to claim 21, wherein the transmission pertaining information record includes data of at least one of response time and error states of an interaction between the selected software element and another software element and data of a time of occurrence of the interaction.

38. In a network having one or more software elements at each of plural service providing nodes, a method of examining interactions among software elements according to claim 21 further comprising the step of forming a statistical record responsive to the transmission pertaining information at the interceptor coupled to the selected software element including data of at least one of interaction counts, failure counts, average response time of the selected software element, average response time of the selected software element when serving requests from another specific software element, percentage of calls to a specific software element that came from another specified software element and percentage of calls from a specified software element that are sent to another specified software element.

39. A system for examining operations of a network of interconnected service providing nodes, comprising:

one or more software elements at each service providing node for processing operations of the network;

intercepting means coupled in an examine mode to a selected software element of the one or more software elements for intercepting at least one of transmissions from the selected software element and transmissions to the selected software element to record information pertaining to the transmissions; and

examining means responsive to the transmission pertaining information recorded by the intercepting means for examining operation of a network task.

40. A system for examining operations of a network of interconnected service providing nodes according to claim 39, wherein first intercepting means are coupled to the selected software element to intercept transmissions from the selected software element and second intercepting means are coupled to the selected software element to intercept transmissions to the selected software element.

41. A system for examining operations of a network of interconnected service providing nodes according to claim 40, wherein the examining means includes selection means for selecting the software elements in which the first and second intercepting means are coupled to the software element.

42. A system for examining operations of a network of interconnected service providing nodes according to claim 41, wherein each selected software element includes storage means for storing the transmission information pertaining records of the first and second intercepting means coupled to the selected software element.

43. A system for examining operations of a network of interconnected service providing nodes according to claim 41, wherein the examining means comprises combining means for combining the transmission information pertaining records from selected software elements to form a set of records of interactions of the software elements of the service providing nodes.

44. A system for examining operations of a network of interconnected service providing nodes according to claim 43, wherein each transmission information pertaining record of a selected software element includes a logical thread identifier identifying a network task of the selected software element, and wherein the combining means includes network task record forming means responsive to the logical thread identifier of the information pertaining records for forming a group of the information pertaining records of the network task.

45. A system for examining operations of a network of interconnected service providing nodes according to claim 44, wherein each transmission information pertaining record in the network task group includes a chain correlation identifier identifying an operation of the selected software element in the network task and an interaction correlation identifier identifying an interaction of the software element with another software element and wherein the combining means includes an interaction record forming means responsive to the chain correlation identifiers and the interaction correlation identifiers for generating a set of interaction records including data of transmission information pertaining records of the network task.

46. A system for examining operations of a network of interconnected service providing nodes according to claim 40, wherein first intercepting means is inserted at an outgoing side of the selected software element isolated from the operation of the selected software element and second intercepting means is inserted at an incoming side of the selected software element isolated from the operation of the selected software element whereby the operation of the selected software element is not affected by the inserted first and second intercepting means.

47. A system for examining operations of a network of interconnected service providing nodes according to claim 39, wherein the information pertaining to transmission recorded at the intercepting means includes data of at least one of response time and error states of an interaction between the selected software element and another software element and data of a time of occurrence of the interaction.

48. A system for examining operations of a network of interconnected service providing nodes according to claim 39, wherein the selected software element further comprises statistics forming means responsive to the transmission pertaining information at the intercepting means coupled to the selected software element for forming data of at least one of interaction counts, failure counts, average response time of the selected software element, average response time of the selected software element when serving requests from another specific software element, percentage of calls to a specific software element that came from another specified software element and percentage of calls from a specified software element that are sent to another specified software element.

49. A system for examining operations of a network of interconnected service providing nodes according to claim 40, wherein, in a selected software element initiating a network task, the first intercepting means coupled to the selected software element generates a network task identifier for transmission to the software elements engaged in the network task.

50. A system for examining operations of a network of interconnected service providing nodes according to claim 49, wherein, in a selected software element sending a request transmission, the coupled first intercepting means provides an identifier identifying an operation of the selected software element and an identifier identifying an interaction between the selected software element and a software element receiving the request transmission and associates the selected software element operation identifier with the interaction identifier.

51. A system for examining operations of a network of interconnected service providing nodes according to claim 50, wherein, in the request transmission to a selected receiving software element, the second intercepting means of the selected receiving software element provides an identifier identifying the operation of the selected receiving software element, associates the selected receiving software element identifier with the interaction identifier identifying the interaction between the selected receiving software element and the selected software element sending the request transmission and records the interaction identifier.

52. A system for examining operations of a network of interconnected service providing nodes according to 50, wherein, in a reply transmission from the selected software element receiving the request, the second intercepting means coupled to the selected software element sending the reply transmission removes the association of the interaction identification with the selected software element operation identifier.

53. A system for examining operations of a network of interconnected service providing nodes according to claim 52, wherein, in a reply transmission to the selected software element receiving the reply, the first intercepting means coupled to the selected software element receiving the reply transmission, removes the association of the interaction identification with the selected software element operation identifier.

54. A system for examining operations of a network of interconnected service providing nodes according to claim 39, wherein the intercepting means of the selected software element includes detecting means for detecting an at least one of an error and a failure in the transmission pertaining information and further includes notifying means for notifying the examining means of a network task being processed by the selected software element.

55. A system for examining operations of a network of interconnected service providing nodes according to claim 54, wherein the examining means further includes analyzing means, responsive to the notification, for requesting information pertaining records of the network task in which the at least one of the error and the failure is detected from the selected software elements.

56. A system for examining operations of a network of interconnected service providing nodes according to claim 40, wherein the information pertaining to transmission recorded at the intercepting means includes data of at least one of response time and error states of an interaction between the selected software element and another software element and data of a time of occurrence of the interaction.

57. A system for examining operations of a network of interconnected service providing nodes according to claim 40, wherein the selected software element further comprises statistics forming means responsive to the transmission pertaining information at the intercepting means coupled to the selected software element for forming data of at least one of interaction counts, failure counts, average response time of the selected software element, average response time of the selected software element when serving requests from another specific software element, percentage of calls to a specific software element that came from another specified software element and percentage of calls from a specified software element that are sent to another specified software element.