Method and apparatus for visualizing results of root cause analysis on transaction performance data

• US 20050251371A1
• Filed: 05/06/2004
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chagoly, Bryan Christopher, Sexton, Kirk Malcolm
• Granted Patent: US 7,424,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3447 Performance evaluation by modeling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/87 Monitoring of transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations

Abstract

Mechanisms for graph manipulation of transactional performance data are provided in order to identify and emphasize root causes of electronic business system transaction processing performance problems. A system transaction monitoring system, such as IBM Tivoli Monitoring for Transaction Performance™ (ITMTP) system, is utilized to obtain transaction performance data for a system. This transaction performance data is stored in a database and is utilized to present a graph of a given transaction or transactions. Having generated a graph of the transaction, and having identified problem conditions in the processing of the transaction(s), the present invention provides mechanisms for performing graph manipulation operations to best depict the root cause of the problems.

Claims

1. A method, in a data processing system, for identifying problem components of an enterprise computing system, comprising:

obtaining transaction processing performance data for the enterprise computing system;

generating a first graph data structure of a transaction processing topology of the enterprise computing system based on the transaction processing performance data;

applying one or more graph manipulation mechanisms to the first graph data structure to generate a second graph data structure of the transaction processing topology; and

generating a graphical representation of the transaction processing topology based on the second graph data structure, wherein the second graph data structure is a modified form of the first graph data structure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein applying one or more graph manipulation mechanisms to the first graph data structure includes receiving input from a user designating a particular type of graph manipulation mechanism to perform on the first graph data structure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein applying one or more graph manipulation mechanisms to the first graph data structure includes automatically identifying a graph manipulation mechanism to be applied to the first graph data structure based on characteristics of the first graph data structure.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the characteristics of the first graph data structure include identified problem locations in the first graph data structure.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more graph manipulation mechanisms modify the first graph data structure such that root causes of problems in the enterprise computing system are emphasized and brought to a forefront of a graphical representation of the transaction processing topology of the enterprise computing system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more graph manipulation mechanisms include applying a monitoring policy to the first graph data structure, wherein the monitoring policy identifies types of components of the enterprise computing system that are to be removed from the first graph data structure, and wherein applying the monitoring policy to the first graph data structure includes generating a second graph data structure in which nodes corresponding to the identified types of components in the monitoring policy are not present.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more graph manipulation mechanisms include a tree reversal mechanism in which child nodes of the first graph data structure are represented as parent nodes in the second graph data structure and parent nodes in the first graph data structure are represented as child nodes in the second graph data structure.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more graph manipulation mechanisms include a child node hiding mechanism in which child nodes in the first graph data structure are not present in the second graph data structure.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more graph manipulation mechanisms include a unique parent/common child node view switching mechanism in which a view of two or more branches of the first graph data structure which point to a common child node may be depicted in the second graph data structure as separate branches or branches pointing to a common child node depending on the state of the switching mechanism.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more graph manipulation mechanisms include a parametric value child node limitation mechanism in which child nodes in the first graph data structure that do not include a particular value of a selected parameter are eliminated in the second graph data structure.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more graph manipulation mechanisms include a parametric search mechanism in which nodes of the first graph data structure having particular parameters are removed from the second graph data structure.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more graph manipulation mechanisms include a child node ordering mechanism in which an order of child nodes in the first graph data structure is modified in a second graph data structure according to ordering criteria.

13. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for identifying problem components of an enterprise computing system, comprising:

first instructions for obtaining transaction processing performance data for the enterprise computing system;

second instructions for generating a first graph data structure of a transaction processing topology of the enterprise computing system based on the transaction processing performance data;

third instructions for applying one or more graph manipulation mechanisms to the first graph data structure to generate a second graph data structure of the transaction processing topology; and

fourth instructions for generating a graphical representation of the transaction processing topology based on the second graph data structure, wherein the second graph data structure is a modified form of the first graph data structure.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the third instructions for applying one or more graph manipulation mechanisms to the first graph data structure include instructions for receiving input from a user designating a particular type of graph manipulation mechanism to perform on the first graph data structure.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the third instructions for applying one or more graph manipulation mechanisms to the first graph data structure include instructions for automatically identifying a graph manipulation mechanism to be applied to the first graph data structure based on characteristics of the first graph data structure.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the characteristics of the first graph data structure include identified problem locations in the first graph data structure.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the one or more graph manipulation mechanisms modify the first graph data structure such that root causes of problems in the enterprise computing system are emphasized and brought to a forefront of a graphical representation of the transaction processing topology of the enterprise computing system.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the one or more graph manipulation mechanisms include instructions for applying a monitoring policy to the first graph data structure, wherein the monitoring policy identifies types of components of the enterprise computing system that are to be removed from the first graph data structure, and wherein applying the monitoring policy to the first graph data structure includes generating a second graph data structure in which nodes corresponding to the identified types of components in the monitoring policy are not present.

19. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the one or more graph manipulation mechanisms include instructions for a tree reversal mechanism in which child nodes of the first graph data structure are represented as parent nodes in the second graph data structure and parent nodes in the first graph data structure are represented as child nodes in the second graph data structure.

20. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the one or more graph manipulation mechanisms include instructions for a child node hiding mechanism in which child nodes in the first graph data structure are not present in the second graph data structure.

21. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the one or more graph manipulation mechanisms include instructions for a unique parent/common child node view switching mechanism in which a view of two or more branches of the first graph data structure which point to a common child node may be depicted in the second graph data structure as separate branches or branches pointing to a common child node depending on the state of the switching mechanism.

22. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the one or more graph manipulation mechanisms include instructions for a parametric value child node limitation mechanism in which child nodes in the first graph data structure that do not include a particular value of a selected parameter are eliminated in the second graph data structure.

23. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the one or more graph manipulation mechanisms include instructions for a parametric search mechanism in which nodes of the first graph data structure having particular parameters are removed from the second graph data structure.

24. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the one or more graph manipulation mechanisms include instructions for a child node ordering mechanism in which an order of child nodes in the first graph data structure is modified in a second graph data structure according to ordering criteria.

25. An apparatus for identifying problem components of an enterprise computing system, comprising:

means for obtaining transaction processing performance data for the enterprise computing system;

means for generating a first graph data structure of a transaction processing topology of the enterprise computing system based on the transaction processing performance data;

means for applying one or more graph manipulation mechanisms to the first graph data structure to generate a second graph data structure of the transaction processing topology; and

means for generating a graphical representation of the transaction processing topology based on the second graph data structure, wherein the second graph data structure is a modified form of the first graph data structure.