METRIC SAMPLING METHOD AND SYSTEM

• US 20070025485A1
• Filed: 09/15/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Caselli, Umberto, Sgro, Antonio
• Granted Patent: US 7,522,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/355
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 21/02 electric

Abstract

An arbitrary metric stream is processed initially at an interim sampling rate to derive a plurality of samples. The samples are analyzed preferably to determine an estimate of the effective bandwidth of the metric stream. As a result of the analysis, an improved sampling rate is determined and adopted for further sampling. In a preferred embodiment, the improved sampling rate is a function of the effective bandwidth.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A method of processing an arbitrary metric stream, comprising the steps of:

sampling said metric stream at an interim sampling rate to derive a plurality of samples;

submitting details of said samples for analysis;

receiving an instruction specifying an improved sampling rate; and

adopting said improved sampling rate for further sampling.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said details of said samples comprise the samples themselves or a subset thereof, and wherein said analysis comprises the steps of:

analysing a plurality of samples sampled from said metric stream at an interim sampling rate to determine an estimate of the effective bandwidth of said metric stream; and

determining an improved sampling rate as a function of said effective bandwidth.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said samples or subset thereof are each submitted directly upon their derivation from said metric stream.

18. The method of claim 16 comprising the further steps of storing said samples or subset thereof, and wherein at said step of submitting the stored samples are submitted together.

19. The method of claim 15 comprising the further step of analysing a plurality of samples sampled from said metric stream at an interim sampling rate to determine an estimate of the effective bandwidth of said metric stream, and wherein said details comprise said estimate of the effective bandwidth.

29. the method of claim 15 comprising the further steps of calculating the difference between said interim sampling rate and said improved sampling rate;

and

in a case where said difference is greater than a first threshold changing the interim rate to equal the improved sampling rate for further sampling, or in a case where said difference is less than said first threshold continuing to sample at the interim rate.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein if said difference is greater than said first threshold, said steps of sampling, analysing, determining and calculating are repeated until a further sampling rate is determined such that the difference between said interim sampling rate and said further rate is less than said first threshold.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein if said difference is less than said first threshold, said steps of sampling, analysing, and calculating are repeated after a predetermined interval.

32. The method of claim 15 wherein said interim sampling rate is initially selected as a maximum value.

33. The method of claim 15 wherein said improved sampling rate is determined to be greater than two times the estimated bandwidth of the signal.

34. The method of claim 16 comprising a further step of comparing effective bandwidth values to detect a particular condition.

35. The method of claim 15 comprising a further step of issuing an invitation to submit metrics.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein said invitation is issued by means of a broadcast.

20. A computer program product in a computer readable medium comprising instructions for carrying out the steps of a method said computer program is executed on a computer;

the method comprising the steps of;

sampling said metric stream at an interim sampling rate to derive a plurality of samples;

submitting details of said samples for analysis;

receiving an instruction specifying an improved sampling rate; and

adopting said improved sampling rate for further sampling.

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. A sampling apparatus comprising:

a sampler adapted to sample a metric stream at an interim sampling rate to derive a plurality of samples;

a transmitter adapted to compile and submit details of said samples for analysis;

a receiver adapted to receive an instruction specifying an improved sampling rate; and

wherein said sampler is further adapted to sample at said improved sampling rate in response to said instruction.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein said details of said samples comprise the samples themselves or a subset thereof, and wherein said analysis comprises the steps of:

analysing a plurality of samples sampled from said metric stream at an interim sampling rate to determine an estimate of the effective bandwidth of said metric stream; and

determining an improved sampling rate as a function of said effective bandwidth.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein said transmitter is adapted to transmit each of said samples or subset thereof directly upon their derivation from said metric stream.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 further comprising a memory adapted to store said samples or subset thereof, and wherein transmitter is adapted to transmit the stored samples together.

27. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising:

a memory adapted to store said samples or subset thereof;

an estimator adapted to analyse said samples stored in said memory to determine an estimate of the effective bandwidth of said metric stream; and

wherein said transmitter is adapted to transmit the effective bandwidth thus determined.

28. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising:

a memory adapted to store said samples or subset thereof;

an estimator adapted to analyse said samples stored in said memory to determine an estimate of the effective bandwidth of said metric stream, and to determine an improved sampling rate as a function thereof;

and wherein transmitter is adapted to transmit the improved sampling rate thus determined.