Application delay analysis

• US 20070028142A1
• Filed: 04/04/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Riverbed Technology, LLC (Riverbed Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: OPNET Technologies Incorporated (Riverbed Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Strohm, John, Elsner, Russell, Canney, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A graphic user interface facilitates the hierarchical analysis of timing parameters related to network-based applications. At the top level of the hierarchy, the user is presented a summary of the delays incurred while running an application, or while simulating the running of an application, organized by delay categories, including processing delays at each node, as well as propagation delays at each link between nodes. The interface enables a user to “drill down” into lower levels of the timing information hierarchy by ‘clicking’ on currently displayed information. The information is presented in a form most appropriate to the level of analysis. The presentation forms include, for example, pie-charts, multi-variable timing diagrams (in both absolute and relative forms), data exchange charts, and so on, and ‘zoom’ capabilities are provided as appropriate to the particular display form.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing a database that includes data related to communication of messages among tiers of a network, corresponding to an execution of an application on the network,

displaying a graphic image that includes a plurality of graphic items that are configured to represent a summary statistic corresponding to at least one of;

each tier of the network, and

each of one or more links between pairs of the tiers of the network, and

receiving a selection of a select graphic item of the plurality of graphic items, and

displaying an other graphic image that includes a plurality of other graphic items that are configured to represent a plurality of the data corresponding to the summary statistic for the select graphic item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

the data corresponds to results of a simulation of the application on a model of the network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

the data includes values of time associated with the communication of each of the messages, and

the summary statistic of each link corresponds to a sum of delays that are based on the values of the time associated with the communication of all of the messages on the link.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

the data includes values of time associated with the processing of each of the messages, and

the summary statistic of each tier corresponds to a sum of delays that are based on the values of the time associated with the processing of all of the messages at the tier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein

the graphic image corresponds to a pie-chart,

the plurality of graphic items corresponds to a plurality of wedges of the pie-chart, and

an area of each wedge of the plurality of wedges is based on a value of the summary statistic for the corresponding link.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein

the graphic image includes a plurality of points corresponding to each of the tiers arranged on a perimeter of a curved shape,

the plurality of graphic items corresponds to a plurality of chords connecting the points corresponding to each of the tiers of each link, and

a characteristic of each chord of the plurality of chords is based on a value of the summary statistic for the corresponding link.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein

the summary statistic corresponds to a sum of delays associated with the communication of the messages on each link,

the delays are characterized by a plurality of delay types, and

the graphic item corresponding to each link includes an indication corresponding to a sum of the delays for each delay type.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein

the delay types include:

a bandwidth delay, a latency delay, and a congestion/protocol delay.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein

the delay types include a protocol delay and a congestion delay that form at least a portion of the congestion/protocol delay.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein

the delay types include a self-congestion delay that forms at least a portion of the congestion/protocol delay.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein

the other graphic image includes a time line, and

the plurality of other graphic items includes line segments that illustrate values of the data as a function of time.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein

the summary statistic corresponds to a sum of delays associated with the communication of the messages on each link,

the delays are characterized by a plurality of delay types,

the plurality of other graphic items includes sets of line segments, each set of line segments corresponding to values of the data for each delay type as a function of time.

13. The method of claim 11, including

receiving a selection of a segment of the time line, and

displaying a subset of the plurality of other graphic items at a finer resolution, based on the selection of the segment of the time line.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein

the values of the data corresponds to one or more of:

a bandwidth delay, a latency delay, a congestion delay, a protocol delay, a congestion/protocol delay, a network delay, and a processing delay.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein

the values of the data corresponds to one or more of:

in-flight packets, network throughput, link bandwidth, retransmissions, out-of-sequence packets, TCP Nagle'"'"'s delay, and TCP advertised receive window.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein

the other graphic image includes a time line for each of two or more tiers, and

the plurality of other graphic items includes connectors between pairs of the two or more time lines corresponding to messages communicated between the corresponding pairs of the two or more tiers as a function of time.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein

one or more graphic characteristics of each connector is dependent upon a value of one or more attributes of the corresponding message.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein

the plurality of other graphic items includes other connectors between pairs of the connectors on the time line of at least one tier, corresponding to a dependency between pairs of messages corresponding to the pairs of the connectors,

wherein

a distance between the connectors of each pair of connectors on the time line of the at least one tier corresponds to a processing delay at the tier.

19. The method of claim 16, including

presenting a tabular listing of attributes of one or more of the messages communicated between the corresponding pairs of the two or more tiers.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein

the attributes include two or more of:

a message size, a start-time, an end-time, and a dependency.

21. The method of claim 16, including

simultaneously displaying a further graphic image that includes a plurality of further graphic items that are configured to represent data corresponding to the summary statistic for the select graphic item in an alternative form.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein

the plurality of further graphic items illustrate values of the data as a function of time, based on the time line of the other graphic image.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein

the values of the data corresponds to one or more of:

a bandwidth delay, a latency delay, a congestion delay, a protocol delay, a congestion/protocol delay, a network delay, and a processing delay.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein

the values of the data corresponds to one or more of:

in-flight packets, network throughput, link bandwidth, retransmissions, out-of-sequence packets, TCP Nagle'"'"'s delay, and TCP advertised receive window.

25. The method of claim 21, including

determining a characteristic of the data, and

selecting the further graphic image from a variety of other graphic images, based at least in part on the characteristic of the data.

26. The method of claim 1, including

displaying one or more textual information items corresponding to the graphic image.

27. The method of claim 1, including

displaying one or more textual information items corresponding to the graphic items to facilitate the selection of the select graphic item.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein

the one or more textual information items are displayed based on a location of a user-controlled cursor.

29. The method of claim 1, including

receiving a selection of a select other graphic item of the plurality of other graphic items, and

displaying a further graphic image that includes a plurality of further graphic items that are configured to represent a plurality of further data corresponding to the data corresponding to the select other graphic item.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein

the data includes values of size associated with each of the messages, and

the summary statistic of each link corresponds to a traffic sum based on the values of the size associated with all of the messages communicated over the link.

31. The method of claim 1, including

determining a characteristic of the data corresponding to the summary statistic, and

selecting the other graphic image from a variety of other graphic images, based at least in part on the characteristic of the data.

32. The method of claim 31, including

obtaining a user input,

selecting a further graphic image from a variety of other graphic images, based at least in part on the user input, and

displaying the further graphic image that includes a plurality of further graphic items that are configured to represent data corresponding to the summary statistic for the select graphic item in an alternative form.

33. A system comprising:

a database that is configured to store data related to communication of messages among tiers of a network, corresponding to an execution of an application on the network, and

a report generator that is configured to provide a graphic image that includes a plurality of graphic items that are configured to represent a summary statistic corresponding to at least one of;

each tier of the network, and each of one or more links between pairs of the tiers of the network, and

a user interface that is configured to receive a selection of a select graphic item of the plurality of graphic items,

wherein

the report generator is configured to display an other graphic image that includes a plurality of other graphic items that are configured to represent a plurality of the data corresponding to the summary statistic for the select graphic item.

34. The system of claim 33, including

a simulator that is configured to provide the data based on a simulation of the application on a model of the network.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein

the data includes values of time associated with the communication and processing of each of the messages, and

the summary statistic of each link corresponds to a sum of delays that are based on the values of the time associated with the communication and processing of all of the messages on the link.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein

the graphic image corresponds to a pie-chart,

the plurality of graphic items corresponds to a plurality of wedges of the pie-chart, and

an area of each wedge of the plurality of wedges is based on a value of the summary statistic for the corresponding link.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein

the summary statistic corresponds to a sum of delays associated with the communication of the messages on each link,

the delays are characterized by a plurality of delay types, and

the graphic item corresponding to each link includes an indication corresponding to a sum of the delays for each delay type.

38. The system of claim 33, wherein

the other graphic image includes a time line, and

the plurality of other graphic items includes line segments that illustrate values of the data as a function of time.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein

the summary statistic corresponds to a sum of delays associated with the communication of the messages on each link,

the delays are characterized by a plurality of delay types,

the plurality of other graphic items includes sets of line segments, each set of line segments corresponding to values of the data for each delay type as a function of time.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein

the user interface is configured to receive a selection of a segment of the time line, and

the report generator is configured to display a subset of the plurality of other graphic items at a finer resolution, based on the selection of the segment of the time line.

41. The system of claim 38, wherein

the values of the data corresponds to one or more of:

a bandwidth delay, a latency delay, a congestion delay, a protocol delay, a congestion/protocol delay, a network delay, and a processing delay.

42. The system of claim 38, wherein

the values of the data corresponds to one or more of:

in-flight packets, network throughput, link bandwidth, retransmissions, out-of-sequence packets, TCP Nagle'"'"'s delay, and TCP advertised receive window.

43. The system of claim 33, wherein

the other graphic image includes a time line for each of two or more tiers, and

the plurality of other graphic items includes connectors between pairs of the two or more time lines corresponding to messages communicated between the corresponding pairs of the two or more tiers as a function of time.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein

the report generator is configured to display a tabular listing of attributes of one or more of the messages communicated between the corresponding pairs of the two or more tiers,

wherein

the attributes include two or more of:

a message size, a start-time, an end-time, and a dependency.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein

the report generator is configured to simultaneously display a further graphic image that includes a plurality of further graphic items that are configured to represent data corresponding to the summary statistic for the select graphic item in an alternative form.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein

the plurality of further graphic items illustrate values of the data as a function of time, based on the time line of the other graphic image.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein

the values of the data corresponds to one or more of:

a bandwidth delay, a latency delay, a congestion delay, a protocol delay, a congestion/protocol delay, a network delay, and a processing delay.

48. The system of claim 46, wherein

the values of the data corresponds to one or more of:

in-flight packets, network throughput, link bandwidth, retransmissions, out-of-sequence packets, TCP Nagle'"'"'s delay, and TCP advertised receive window.

49. The system of claim 45, including

a data analyzer that is configured to determine a characteristic of the data, and

a report selector that is configured to select the further graphic image from a variety of further graphic images, based at least in part on the characteristic of the data.

50. The system of claim 33, wherein

the report generator is configured to display one or more textual information items corresponding to the graphic image.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein

the one or more textual information items include instructions that facilitate the selection of the select graphic item.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein

the one or more textual information items are displayed based on a location of a user-controlled cursor.

53. The system of claim 33, wherein

the user interface is configured to receive a selection of a select other graphic item of the plurality of other graphic items, and

the report generator is configured to display a further graphic image that includes a plurality of further graphic items that are configured to represent a plurality of further data corresponding to the data corresponding to the select other graphic item.

54. The system of claim 33, wherein

the data includes values of size associated with each of the messages, and

the summary statistic of each link corresponds to a traffic sum based on the values of the size associated with all of the messages communicated over the link.

55. The system of claim 33, including

a data analyzer that is configured to determine a characteristic of the data corresponding to the summary statistic, and

a report selector that is configured to select the other graphic image from a variety of other graphic images, based at least in part on the characteristic of the data.

56. The system of claim 33, wherein

the user interface is configured to:

obtain a user input, and

select a further graphic image from a variety of other graphic images, based at least in part on the user input, and

the report generator is configured to display the further graphic image that includes a plurality of further graphic items that are configured to represent data corresponding to the summary statistic for the select graphic item in an alternative form.