METHOD, SYSTEM AND PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR DETERMINING A NUMBER OF CONCURRENT USERS ACCESSING A SYSTEM

• US 20080109547A1
• Filed: 11/02/2006
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bao, Zhendong, Yu, Stephen, Lewis, Lisa W., Ramseur, Demethria J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,041,807 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems

Abstract

A method, system and program product for determining a number of concurrent users being served by a system at a given point-in-time is provided. The method includes running, at a pre-determined point-in-time, a collection script for collecting user data from one or more target systems, the user data collected including a number of concurrent users logged into each of the target systems at the pre-determined point-in-time. The method further includes generating one or more electronic transmissions for transmitting the user data collected, loading the one or more electronic transmissions generated into a monitoring system, and creating an output file containing the user data. Further, the loading step includes parsing the user data loaded, storing the user data collected and parsed into a database and updating the stored user data. Moreover, the method includes transmitting the output file from the monitoring system to one or more monitoring system clients.

Claims

1. A method for determining a number of users being served by a server, said method comprising the steps of:

running, at a pre-determined point-in-time, a collection script for collecting a set of user data from each of a plurality of target systems, said set of user data collected including a number of concurrent users logged into each of said plurality of target systems at said pre-determined point-in-time;

generating one or more electronic transmissions for transmitting said set of user data collected from said each of said plurality of target systems;

loading said one or more electronic transmissions generated into a monitoring system; and

creating an output file containing said set of user data.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting said output file from said monitoring system to one or more monitoring system clients.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

establishing a user identity for each user seeking access to said each of said plurality of target systems, said user identity for said each user being associated with one or more job roles and being associated with a business group of one or more business groups;

categorizing said each user as either an external user or an internal user; and

setting up a mail account for said each of said plurality of target systems;

wherein said each of said plurality of target systems are grouped into one or more geographical regions.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said running step further comprises the step of:

deploying said collection script on said each of said plurality of target systems.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said generating step further comprises the steps of:

producing a count of said number of concurrent users for each of said one or more business units;

counting separately any user having an unknown job role; and

providing a count of any external users.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said loading step further comprises the steps of:

parsing said set of user data loaded from said one or more electronic transmissions;

storing said set of user data collected and parsed into a database; and

updating, at predetermined intervals, said set of user data stored.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said set of user data collected for said each of said plurality of target systems comprises at least one of:

total number of users daily, total number of users hourly, average number of users daily, total number of users in each of said plurality of regions daily, total number of users in each of said plurality of regions hourly, average number of users daily in each of said plurality of regions, time of login by a user, business group to which a user belongs and time of logout by a user.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said one or more electronic transmissions comprise at least one of:

e-mails and FTP files; and

wherein said output file created comprises an XML file that is configured to interface with said one or more monitoring system clients.

9. A system for predicting user load for a server at a pre-determined point-in-time, comprising:

a collection script configured to run, at a pre-determined point-in-time, on each of a plurality of servers, said collection script being configured to gather user statistics, including a number of concurrent users accessing said each of said plurality of servers at said pre-determined point-in-time;

a mail script configured to generate one or more electronic transmissions containing said user statistics gathered; and

a utility script configured to load said one or more electronic transmissions generated into a data collection tool, said data collection tool being configured to create an output file containing said user statistics for predicting said user load for said each of said plurality of servers at said pre-determined point-in-time.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said utility script is further configured to parse contents of said one or more electronic transmissions loaded, to store said contents parsed into a database;

and to update, at predetermined intervals, said user statistics stored.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said data collection tool is further configured to interface with one or more monitoring system clients.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said data collection tool is further configured to establish a user identity for each user for accessing any of said plurality of servers, said user identity being associated with one or more job roles and being associated with a business group of one or more business groups;

wherein said data collection tool is further configured to categorize said each user as either an external user or an internal user; and

wherein said data collection tool is further configured to set up a mail account for said each of said plurality of servers, said each of said plurality of servers being grouped into one or more regions.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said one or more electronic transmissions comprise at least one of:

e-mails and FTP files; and

wherein said output file created comprises an XML file that is configured to interface with said one or more monitoring system clients.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said user statistics gathered for said each of said plurality of servers comprises at least one of:

total number of users daily, total number of users hourly, average number of users daily, total number of users in each of said plurality of regions daily, total number of users in each of said plurality of regions hourly, average number of users daily in each of said plurality of regions, time of login by a user, business group to which a user belongs and time of logout by a user.

15. A computer program product for determining a number of concurrent users accessing a target system, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium;

first program instructions to collect, at established times, a set of user data from a plurality of target systems, said set of user data including a number of concurrent users accessing said each of said plurality of target systems at said established times;

second program instructions to generate one or more electronic transmissions containing said set of user data collected;

third program instructions to load said one or more electronic transmissions generated into a data collection tool, said data collection tool being configured to create an output file containing said set of user data for determining said number of concurrent users accessing a target system of said plurality of target systems; and

wherein said first, second and third program instructions are stored on said computer readable medium.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein said first program instructions include instructions to deploy a collection script for collecting said set of user data on said each of said plurality of target systems.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein said first program instructions include instructions to establish a user identity for each user seeking access to said each of said plurality of target systems, said user identity for said each user being associated with one or more job roles and being associated with a business group of one or more business groups;

to categorize said each user as either an external user or an internal user; and

to set up a mail account for said each of said plurality of target systems, wherein said each of said plurality of target systems is grouped into one or more geographical regions.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein said second program instructions include instructions to produce a count of said number of concurrent users for each of said one or more business units, to count separately any user having an unknown job role, and to provide a count of any external users.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18, wherein said third program instructions include instructions to parse contents of said one or more electronic transmissions loaded, to store said contents parsed into a database;

and to update, at predetermined intervals, said set of user data stored.

20. The computer program product according to claim 19, wherein said set of user data collected for said each of said plurality of target systems comprises at least one of:

total number of users daily, total number of users hourly, average number of users daily, total number of users in each of said plurality of regions daily, total number of users in each of said plurality of regions hourly, average number of users daily in each of said plurality of regions, time of login by a user, business group to which a user belongs and time of logout by a user;

wherein said one or more electronic transmissions comprise at least one of;

e-mails and FTP files; and

wherein said output file created comprises an XML file that is configured to interface with one or more monitoring system clients.

21. A process for deploying computing infrastructure comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computing system, wherein said code in combination with said computing system is capable of performing a process for monitoring user load for a target system at a pre-determined point-in-time, said process comprising:

establishing a user identity for each user seeking access to each of a plurality of target systems, said user identity for said each user being associated with one or more job roles and being associated with a business group of one or more business groups;

categorizing said each user as either an external user or an internal user;

setting up a mail account for said each of said plurality of target systems, wherein said each of said plurality of target systems is grouped into one or more geographical regions;

running, at a pre-determined point-in-time, a collection script for collecting a set of user data from each of said plurality of target systems, said set of user data collected including a number of concurrent users logged into each of said plurality of target systems at said pre-determined point-in-time for monitoring said user load;

generating one or more electronic transmissions for transmitting said set of user data collected from said each of said plurality of target systems;

loading said one or more electronic transmissions generated into a monitoring system;

creating an output file containing said set of user data; and

transmitting said output file created from said monitoring system to one or more monitoring system clients.

22. The process according to claim 21, wherein said running step further comprises the step of:

deploying said collection script on said each of said plurality of target systems.

23. The process according to claim 22, wherein said generating step further comprises the steps of:

producing a count of said number of concurrent users for each of said one or more business units;

counting separately any user having an unknown job role; and

providing a count of any external users.

24. The process according to claim 23, wherein said loading step further comprises the steps of:

parsing said set of user data loaded from said one or more electronic transmissions;

storing said set of user data collected and parsed into a monitoring system database; and

updating, at predetermined intervals, said set of user data stored.

25. The process according to claim 24, wherein said one or more electronic transmissions comprise at least one of:

e-mails and FTP files; and

wherein said output file created comprises an XML file that is configured to interface with said one or more monitoring system clients.

26. The process according to claim 25, wherein said set of user data collected for said each of said plurality of target systems comprises at least one of:

total number of users daily, total number of users hourly, average number of users daily, total number of users in each of said plurality of regions daily, total number of users in each of said plurality of regions hourly, average number of users daily in each of said plurality of regions, time of login by a user, business group to which a user belongs and time of logout by a user.