Method and system for measuring replication latencies in a network having multiple directory servers

• US 20040255020A1
• Filed: 06/12/2003
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lissoir, Alain
• Application Number:
  US10/459,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20040255020A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for measuring replication latency in a network having interconnected directory servers that store objects. A client terminal connected to a local directory server is used to measure replication latency. The client terminal accesses the local directory server or a remote directory server and retrieves information to identify all of the other directory servers in the network. The client terminal updates an object in one of the directory servers, such as the local directory server. The other directory servers replicate the object. The client terminal monitors the other directory servers as the object is replicated, and calculates the replication latency for each of the directory servers.

Claims

1. A method of measuring replication latency in a network having a plurality of interconnected directory servers that store objects, the method comprising:

identifying directory servers connected to the network using a local client terminal connected to a local directory server by a local area network (LAN), wherein the local directory server is one of the directory servers in the network;

updating an object on one of the directory servers;

monitoring the other directory servers that replicate the object, to determine when the object is replicated on each of the other directory servers; and

calculating replication latency for each of the other directory servers, based on the monitoring.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the directory servers run ACTIVE DIRECTORY software.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of updating comprises updating the object on the local directory server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of identifying, updating, and calculating comprise identifying, updating, and calculating using a software application installed only on the local client terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is replicated on each of the other directory servers in the network.

6. The method of claim 1,

further comprising:

reading an object update time from the one of the directory servers when the object is updated, and

reading a replication time for each of the other directory servers when the object is replicated on each of the other directory servers; and

wherein the step of calculating comprises, for each of the other directory servers, comparing the object update time with the object replication time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of identifying, updating, monitoring, and calculating are performed periodically to create a continuously updated schedule of replication latencies between the one of the directory servers and the other directory servers in the network.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting an operation type for the object, and wherein the step of updating comprises updating the object based on the selected operation type.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the operation type is associated with a replication priority.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of updating the object on the one of the directory servers comprises updating the object on a remote directory server, using the local client terminal.

11. A tangible, computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing a method of measuring replication latency in a network having a plurality of interconnected directory servers that store objects, the method comprising:

identifying directory servers connected to the network;

selecting an operation type for replication, wherein the operation type has a replication priority;

updating an object in one of the directory servers according to the operation type;

monitoring the other directory servers while the other directory servers replicate the object to determine when the object is replicated on each of the other directory servers; and

calculating replication latency for each of the other directory servers for the operation type, based on the monitoring.

12. The medium of claim 11,

wherein the method further comprises:

reading an object update time from the one of the directory servers when the object is updated on the one of the directory servers, and

reading a replication time for each of the other directory servers when the object is replicated on each of the other directory servers; and

wherein the step of calculating comprises, for each of the other directory servers, comparing the object update time with the object replication time.

13. The medium of claim 11, wherein the steps of identifying, updating, monitoring, and calculating are performed periodically to create a continuously updated schedule of replication latencies between the one of the directory servers and the other directory servers in the network.

14. The medium of claim 11, wherein the step of updating the object comprises updating the object using a single client terminal connected to a local directory server.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein the step of updating the object comprises updating the object on the local directory server.

16. A computer system connected to a network having a plurality of interconnected directory servers that store objects and a terminal connected to the network, the terminal comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having stored therein computer-executable instructions for performing a method of measuring replication latency for an object updated on one of the directory servers and replicated on other directory servers connected to the network, the method comprising;

updating an object in one of the directory servers, wherein the step of updating causes the other directory servers to replicate the object;

determining when the object is replicated on each of the other servers; and

calculating replication latency for each of the other servers, after the determining.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the step of updating comprises updating according to an operation type having a replication priority.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the steps of updating, determining, and calculating are repeated for a plurality of operation types having a plurality of replication priorities.

19. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the step of updating comprises updating the object in a database associated with a local directory server, and wherein the object is replicated on remote directory servers.

20. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the step of updating the object comprises creating a user account on a local directory server, and wherein the step of determining comprises determining when the user account is replicated in each of the other directory servers.

21. An apparatus that measures replication latency among directory servers in a network of interconnected directory servers, the apparatus comprising:

means for identifying directory servers connected to the network using a local client terminal connected to a local directory server by a local area network (LAN), wherein the local directory server is one of the directory servers in the network;

means for updating an object on one of the directory servers;

means for periodically checking a data field associated with the object on each of the other directory servers that replicate the object, to determine when the object is replicated on each of the other directory servers; and

means for calculating replication latency for each of the other directory servers, based on the monitoring.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a means for selecting an operation type for replication, wherein the operation type has a replication priority, and wherein the means for updating comprises means for updating according to the selected operation type.