System and method for monitoring the performance of a server

• US 20040230874A1
• Filed: 05/15/2003
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sonkin, Dmitry, Prang, Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 7,155,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3636 by tracing the execution of the program
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring

Abstract

A monitoring tool requests traceable information from a server. Such traceable information preferably includes traceable events and associated columns. The monitoring tool preferably generates a display of the traceable information, from which a user may select information to be traced. The monitoring tool requests a trace of the selected information. The trace is preferably displayed to the user, and the user may use the trace to identify and correct problems occurring at the server.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a server, the method comprising:

requesting traceable information from the server;

selecting information to be traced from the traceable information; and

requesting a trace of the selected information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting traceable information comprises requesting information about the server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting traceable information comprises requesting traceable events occurring at the server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein requesting traceable events occurring at the server comprises requesting traceable columns, the traceable columns being associated with the traceable events and including data describing the traceable events.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting information to be traced comprises:

generating a grid display including the traceable events and the traceable columns, the grid display identifying the traceable columns associated with each traceable event; and

selecting the grid events and columns to be traced.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the trace.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying an event at the server based on the trace.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the trace at a monitoring tool for further processing.

9. A system for monitoring a server, the system comprising:

a processor operative to execute computer executable instructions; and

memory having stored therein computer executable instructions for performing the following steps;

requesting traceable information from the server;

selecting information to be traced from the traceable information; and

requesting a trace of the selected information.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the traceable information comprises information about the server.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the traceable information comprises traceable events occurring at the server.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the traceable information further comprises traceable columns, the traceable columns being associated with the traceable events and including data describing the traceable events.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a display device for displaying a grid including the traceable events and the traceable columns, the grid identifying the traceable columns associated with each traceable event.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the display device is further for displaying the trace.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the memory is further for storing the results of the trace for further processing.

16. A method of communication between a monitoring tool and a server for requesting traceable information, the method comprising:

providing a schema to the server, wherein

a first-level element corresponds to a definition of a trace, the first level element comprising;

a first second-level element corresponding to information about the server;

a second second-level element corresponding to traceable events, the traceable events being events occurring at the server; and

a third second-level element corresponding to traceable columns, the traceable columns being associated with the traceable events and including data describing the traceable events; and

receiving from the server data formatted according to the schema.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first second-level element comprises:

a first third-level element corresponding to a name of the server;

a second third-level element corresponding to a type of the server; and

a third third-level element corresponding to a version of the server.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the second second-level element corresponds to a list of categories of the traceable events.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second second-level element comprises a plurality of third-level elements each corresponding to a category of traceable events in the list.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein each third-level element comprises:

a first fourth-level element corresponding to a name of the category;

a second fourth-level element corresponding to a description of the category;

a third fourth-level element corresponding to a type of the category; and

a fourth fourth-level element corresponding to a list of traceable events in the category of events.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the fourth fourth-level element comprises a plurality of fifth-level elements each corresponding to a traceable event in the list of traceable events.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein each fifth-level element comprises:

a first sixth-level element corresponding to a name of the event;

a second sixth-level element corresponding to a description of the event;

a third sixth-level element corresponding to an identifier of the event; and

a fourth sixth-level element corresponding to a list of traceable columns associated with the event.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the identifier of the event is selected from a plurality of ranges of identifiers.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the plurality of ranges of identifiers comprises:

a first range of identifiers corresponding to trace special events;

a second range of identifiers corresponding to monitoring tool special events; and

a third range of identifiers corresponding to server defined events.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the fourth sixth-level element comprises a plurality of seventh-level elements, each corresponding to a traceable column in the list of traceable columns.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein each seventh-level element comprises a first eighth-level element corresponding to an identifier of the column.

27. The method of claim 17, wherein the third second-level element corresponds to a list of the traceable columns.

28. The method of claim 17, wherein the third second-level element comprises a plurality of third-level elements each corresponding to a traceable column in the list.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein each third-level element comprises:

a first fourth-level element corresponding to a name of the column;

a second fourth-level element corresponding to a description of the column;

a third fourth-level element corresponding to a type of the column;

a fourth fourth-level element corresponding to an identifier of the column;

a fifth fourth-level element corresponding to an indication of whether the column is filterable; and

a sixth fourth-level element corresponding to an indication of whether the column is repeatable.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the identifier is selected from a plurality of ranges of identifiers.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the plurality of ranges of identifiers comprises:

a first range of identifiers corresponding to trace special columns;

a second range of identifiers corresponding to monitoring tool special columns;

a third range of identifiers corresponding to predetermined columns; and

a fourth range of identifiers corresponding to server defined columns.

32. A method of communication between a server and a monitoring tool for providing a trace of selected events and associated columns to the monitoring tool, the method comprising:

formatting data from the server into a stream of data comprising a plurality of data fields, each data field corresponding to a selected event and comprising;

a first field corresponding to a trace begin record special column;

a second field corresponding to a length of the trace begin record special column;

a third field corresponding to an identifier of the event;

a fourth field corresponding to a length of the event; and

a plurality of sets of fields each corresponding to an associated column; and

sending the data to the monitoring tool.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein each set of fields comprises:

a fifth field corresponding to an identifier of the column;

a sixth field corresponding to a length of the column; and

a seventh field corresponding to data stored in the column.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the stream of data further comprises a header field.