METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR RECORDING INTERACTIONS OF DISTRIBUTED USERS

• US 20070255579A1
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: O'Sullivan, Patrick J., Chen, Liang, Browne, Garreth, Boland, Conor T., Delhave, Marie Helene Brohan
• Application Number:
  US11/549,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20070255579A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method and system are provided for recording interactions of distributed users in a distributed system. A plurality of distributed clients each interact with a system of interest. A shared network file is provided which is accessible by each of the distributed users. A recorder records a client'"'"'s use activity on the system of interest as a record in the shared network file. The records of multiple clients are combined in an interleaved, time ordered record.

Claims

1. A method for recording interactions of distributed users in a distributed system, comprising:

recording a record of a client'"'"'s use activity on a system of interest;

storing the record to a shared network file on the distributed system; and

combining the records of multiple clients in an interleaved, time ordered record.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

recording an error in component logs of the system of interest; and

correlating by time an error in the system of interest with the interleaved, time ordered record.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the client'"'"'s use activity is recorded in a common base event (CBE) format in the shared network file.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the record includes at least one of:

an identification of a user;

applications running on a computer system of the user;

a current operating system of the user, version;

service pack; and

a location and language of the user.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a set of interactions by a user is identified by a use case identifier.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system of interest is a system under test and wherein the use activities of the multiple clients are simulated by a test application.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the method is activated for a test case, and wherein a group of related use cases by a plurality of clients is identified by a test case identifier.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system of interest is a system in use and each client publishes the record of its use activity to the shared network file.

9. A system for recording interactions of distributed users in a distributed system, comprising:

a plurality of distributed clients each interacting with a system of interest;

a shared network file accessible by each of the distributed clients;

a recorder for recording a client'"'"'s use activity on the system of interest as a record in the shared network file; and

means for combining the records of multiple clients in an interleaved, time ordered record.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, including:

an analyser for analysing component logs of the system of interest; and

a correlation means for correlating the component logs to the interleaved, time ordered record.

11. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the clients'"'"' use activities are recorded in a common base event (CBE) format in the shared network file.

12. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the record includes at least one of:

an identification of a user;

applications running on a computer system of the user;

a current operating system of the user, version;

service pack; and

a location and language of the user.

13. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein a client'"'"'s use activity is identified by a use case identifier.

14. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the system of interest is a system under test and the use activities of the multiple clients are simulated by a test application.

15. The system as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

a test case database;

wherein the recorder is launched to record a new test case and interfaces with the test case database.

16. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein a group of related use cases by a plurality of clients is identified by a test case identifier.

17. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the system of interest is a system in use and wherein each client has a recorder which publishes the record to the shared network file.

18. A computer program product stored on a computer readable storage medium, comprising computer readable program code for performing the steps of:

recording a record of a client'"'"'s use activity on a system of interest;

storing the record to a shared network file on the distributed system; and

combining the records of multiple clients in an interleaved, time ordered record.