Identification of root cause for a transaction response time problem in a distributed environment

• US 20070016831A1
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gehman, Byron, Tipton, Sandra
• Granted Patent: US 7,487,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/43
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0724 in a multiprocessor or a multi-core unit multiprocessors per se G06F15/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/87 Monitoring of transactions

Abstract

Method and apparatus for identifying a cause for a response time problem for a transaction in a distributed computing system that includes a central server and a plurality of subsystems. Data is stored at each subsystem relating to sub-transactions of transactions performed by the subsystems. When a problem is discovered in connection with the completion of a particular transaction, each subsystem of the plurality of subsystems that was involved in the particular transaction is identified, and both instance data relating to all of the sub-transactions of the particular transaction stored at each identified subsystem and current hourly aggregate data stored at each identified subsystem is forwarded to the central server. Root-Cause Analysis is then performed using the forwarded instance data and aggregate data to identify the particular subsystem that caused the transaction problem.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a cause for a response time problem for a transaction in a distributed computing system that includes a central server and a plurality of subsystems, the method comprising:

storing data at each subsystem relating to sub-transactions of transactions performed by the subsystems;

discovering a problem in connection with completion of a particular transaction;

identifying each subsystem of the plurality of subsystems involved in the particular transaction;

forwarding the data stored at each identified subsystem to the central server, the forwarded data including instance data relating to the sub-transaction of the particular transaction performed by the identified subsystems and aggregate data relating to sub-transactions of transactions performed by the identified subsystems; and

performing a Root-Cause Analysis using the forwarded aggregate data and the forwarded instance data to identify the subsystem that caused the problem with the particular transaction.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifying step comprises:

identifying each subsystem of the plurality of subsystems involved in the particular transaction using at least one identifier stored at each subsystem.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least one identifier includes a first identifier uniquely identifying the particular transaction, and a second identifier identifying a policy associated with the particular transaction.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the storing step comprises:

storing data at each subsystem relating to sub-transactions of transactions performed by the subsystems in a circular doubly linked in-memory queue.

5. The method according to claim 4, and further comprising:

specifying a size of the queue at each subsystem as a function of transaction traffic.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the storing step comprises storing data at agents of each subsystem relating to sub-transactions of transactions performed by the subsystems.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instance data comprises First Failure Data Capture data.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the aggregate data comprises current hourly aggregate data.

9. A computer program product, comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a computer usable medium, for identifying a cause for a response time problem for a transaction in a distributed computing system that includes a central server and a plurality of subsystems, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for storing data at each subsystem relating to sub-transactions of transactions performed by the subsystems;

second instructions for discovering a problem in connection with completion of a particular transaction;

third instructions for identifying each subsystem of the plurality of subsystems involved in the particular transaction;

fourth instructions for forwarding the data stored at each identified subsystem to the central server, the forwarded data including instance data relating to the sub-transaction of the particular transaction performed by the identified subsystems and aggregate data relating to sub-transactions of transactions performed by the identified subsystems; and

fifth instructions for performing a Root-Cause Analysis using the forwarded aggregate data and the forwarded instance data to identify the subsystem that caused the problem with the particular transaction.

10. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the third instructions comprises:

instructions for identifying each subsystem of the plurality of subsystems involved in the particular transaction using at least one identifier stored at each subsystem.

11. The computer program product according to claim 10, wherein the at least one identifier includes a first identifier uniquely identifying the particular transaction, and a second identifier identifying a policy associated with the particular transaction.

12. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the first instructions comprises:

instructions for storing data at each subsystem relating to sub-transactions of transactions performed by the subsystems in a circular doubly linked queue.

13. The computer program product according to 12, and further comprising:

sixth instructions for specifying a size of the queue at each subsystem as a function of transaction traffic.

14. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the first instructions comprises:

instructions for storing data at agents of each subsystem relating to sub-transactions of transactions performed by the subsystems.

15. An apparatus for identifying a cause for a response time problem for a transaction in a distributed computing system that includes a central server and a plurality of subsystems, the apparatus comprising:

an agent at each subsystem for storing data relating to sub-transactions of transactions performed by the subsystems;

a mechanism for discovering a problem in connection with completion of a particular transaction;

an identifying mechanism for identifying each subsystem of the plurality of subsystems involved in the particular transaction;

a forwarding mechanism for forwarding the data stored at each identified subsystem to the central server, the forwarded data including instance data relating to the sub-transaction of the particular transaction performed by the identified subsystems and aggregate data relating to sub-transactions of transactions performed by the identified subsystems; and

an analyzer at the central server for performing a Root-Cause Analysis using the forwarded aggregate data and the forwarded instance data to identify the subsystem that caused the problem with the particular transaction.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the identifying mechanism identifies each subsystem of the plurality of subsystems involved in the particular transaction using at least one identifier stored at each subsystem.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the at least one identifier includes a first identifier uniquely identifying the particular transaction, and a second identifier identifying a policy associated with the particular transaction.

18. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the agent at each subsystem includes a circular doubly linked in-memory queue for storing the data relating to sub-transactions of transactions performed by the subsystems.

19. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the instance data comprises First Failure Data Capture data.

20. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the aggregate data comprises current hourly aggregate data.