STATISTICAL METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TAKING PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS

• US 20070143077A1
• Filed: 02/20/2007
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Russell, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,657,397 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/186
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3452 Performance evaluation by statistical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold

Abstract

A method of determining a performance characteristic of a system is accomplished through the use of descriptive statistics and key ratios. A predetermined amount of measurements are taken to test a system performance characteristic. The measurements are compiled and descriptive statistics and key ratios are determined from the measurements. The descriptive statistics and key ratios are analyzed to determine if a satisfactory measurement of the system performance was determined. If a satisfactory measurement for the system performance was not determined, additional measurements are taken until the descriptive statistics and key ratios indicate a satisfactory measurement for the system performance was determined. Once a satisfactory measurement for the system performance is determined, the value is recorded and stored.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating the performance of a computing system, comprising:

receiving a first sampling of a computer system performance measurement;

determining a set of descriptive statistics and key ratios from the first sampling; and

determining whether the first sampling of the computer system performance measurement is a perturbed sampling by evaluating the set of descriptive statistics and key ratios.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising deleting the perturbed sampling of the computer system performance measurement.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

initiating a second sampling of a computer system performance measurement to replace the first sampling;

receiving the second sampling;

determining a set of descriptive statistics and key ratios based on the second sampling; and

determining whether the second sampling of the computer system performance measurement is a perturbed sampling by evaluating the descriptive statistics and key ratios based on the second sampling.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising deleting the second perturbed sampling of the computer system performance measurement and reinitiating further samplings until a non-perturbed sampling is received.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording a value when at least one predetermined criteria is met.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving additional samplings if the at least one predetermined criteria is not met.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining a set of descriptive statistics and key ratios from the additional samplings.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining whether at least one predetermined criteria is met from the additional samplings.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving the additional samplings until at least one predetermined criteria is met from the additional samplings.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer system performance measurement is perturbed by an environmental or operational activity.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the environmental or operational activity includes an interrupt, a deferred procedure call, a high priority thread, a user activity, a mouse movement, or a network traffic activity.

12. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for carrying out the method of:

receiving a first sampling of a computer system performance measurement;

determining a set of descriptive statistics and key ratios based on the first sampling; and

determining whether the first sampling of the computer system performance measurement is a perturbed sampling by evaluating the set of descriptive statistics and key ratios.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising computer executable instructions for deleting the perturbed sampling of the computer system performance measurement.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising computer executable instructions for:

initiating a second sampling of a computer system performance measurement to replace the first sampling;

receiving the second sampling;

determining a set of descriptive statistics and key ratios based on the second sampling; and

determining whether the second sampling of the computer system performance measurement is a perturbed sampling by evaluating the descriptive statistics and key ratios based on the second sampling.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising computer executable instructions for deleting the second perturbed sampling of the computer system performance measurement and reinitiating further samplings until a non-perturbed sampling is received.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising computer executable instructions for recording a value when at least one predetermined criteria is met.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising computer executable instructions for receiving additional samplings if the at least one predetermined criteria is not met and determining a set of descriptive statistics and key ratios from the additional samplings.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising computer executable instructions for determining whether at least one predetermined criteria is met from the additional samplings and receiving the additional samplings until at least one predetermined criteria is met from the additional samplings.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the computer system performance measurement is perturbed by an environmental or operational activity.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the environmental or operational activity includes an interrupt, a deferred procedure call, a high priority thread, a user activity, a mouse movement, or a network traffic activity.