System, method and program to troubleshoot a distributed computer system or determine application data flows

• US 20060075089A1
• Filed: 09/14/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Barsuk, Vyacheslav, Alam, A.K.M. Kamrul
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,459 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for determining active connections likely needed to handle client requests. First program instructions repeatedly detect active connections between a first server and other servers. Second program instructions determine how often an active connection between the first server and each of the other servers has been detected. Third program instructions determine when each of the active connections was last detected. Fourth program instructions form a table listing the active connections, how often or how frequently each of the active connections has been detected, and when each of the active connections was last detected. Preferably, the fourth program instructions highlight in the table one or more of the active connections which were not detected as active during a most recent iteration by the first program instructions. Fifth program instructions identify a plurality of the active connections which do not utilize ports generally used for system functions or ports generally used to receive requests from user clients. This plurality of active connections are more likely to be needed to handle client requests.

Claims

1. A computer program product for determining active connections likely needed to handle client requests, said program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instructions to repeatedly detect active connections between a first server and other servers; and

second program instructions to determine how often an active connection between said first server and each of said other servers has been detected; and

wherein

said first and second program instructions are recorded on said medium.

2. A computer program product as set forth in claim 1 further comprising third program instructions to determine when each of said active connections was last detected;

and wherein said third program instructions are recorded on said medium.

3. A computer program product as set forth in claim 2 further comprising fourth program instructions to form a table listing said active connections, how often each of said active connections has been detected, and when each of said active connections was last detected;

and wherein

said fourth program instructions are recorded on said medium.

4. A computer program product as set forth in claim 3 wherein said fourth program instructions highlight in said table one or more of said active connections which were not detected as active during a most recent iteration by said first program instructions.

5. A computer program product as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

third program instructions to identify a plurality of said active connections which do not utilize ports generally used for system functions; and

wherein

said third program instructions are recorded on said medium.

6. A computer program product as set forth in claim 1 further comprising third program instructions to identify which of said active connections utilize a listening port on said first server;

and wherein said third program instructions are recorded on said medium.

7. A computer program product as set forth in claim 1 further comprising third program instructions to identify said active connections which do not utilize ports generally used for system functions or ports generally used to receive requests from user clients;

and wherein said third program instructions are recorded on said medium.

8. A method for determining active connections likely needed to handle client requests, said method comprising the steps of:

repeatedly detecting active connections between a first server and other servers; and

determining how often an active connection between said first server and each of said other servers has been detected; and

determining when each of said active connections was last detected.

9. A method as set forth in claim 8 further comprising the step of forming a table listing said active connections, how often each of said active connections has been detected, and when each of said active connections was last detected.

10. A method as set forth in claim 9 further comprising the step of highlighting in said table one or more of said plurality of said active connections which were not detected as active during a most recent iteration by said first program instructions.

11. A computer system for determining active connections likely needed to handle client requests, said system comprising:

means for repeatedly detecting active connections between a first server and other servers; and

means for determining how often an active connection between said first server and each of said other servers has been detected.

12. A computer system as set forth in claim 11 further comprising means for determining when each of said active connections was last detected.

13. A computer program product as set forth in claim 12 further comprising means for forming a table listing said active connections, how often each of said active connections has been detected, and when each of said active connections was last detected.

14. A computer system as set forth in claim 13 wherein the table forming means highlights in said table one or more of said active connections which were not detected as active during a most recent iteration by said first program instructions.