ESTIMATION OF WEB CLIENT RESPONSE TIME

• US 20080168177A1
• Filed: 01/04/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Subramaniam, Subbu
• Granted Patent: US 7,779,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps

Abstract

Apparatuses, methods, and systems directed to estimating response time and other performance metrics in network communications. Some embodiments of the invention allow users to monitor and estimate response time in real time. In other particular embodiments, the systems disclosed below can be used to estimate response time using server logs. In some embodiments, the present invention involves using open control blocks as a proxy to estimate the number of dropped connections.

Claims

1. A method, comprising

accessing a data stream comprising connection initiation and termination packets between a plurality of hosts;

opening, responsive to connection initiation packets, control blocks for each detected connection;

recording, in association with respective control blocks, the arrival times of the connection initiation and termination packets;

closing, responsive to connection termination packets, corresponding control blocks;

computing one or more network statistics based on the recorded arrival times and the number of open control blocks at the end of the data stream.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessing step comprises

specifying one or more filters to capture connection initiation and termination packets;

capturing the connection initiation and termination packets based on the specified filters;

determining an arrival time for each captured packet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a control block comprises arrival times of connection initiation packets, arrival times of connection termination packets, one or more counters for a response time, one or more counters for a Round Trip Time, two or more counters for a number of bytes, two or more sequence numbers, and one or more flags for a connection termination packet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing step comprises calculating a response time based on the time stamps of a connection initiation packet and a connection termination packet, wherein the calculated response time comprises a margin of error of one roundtrip time between a client system and a server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing step comprises computing a total number of bytes transmitted between a plurality of hosts.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing step comprises ascertaining the total number of dropped connections between a plurality of hosts by counting the number of open control blocks upon termination of accessing the data stream.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a data stream comprises one or more logs, wherein a log comprises one or more entries, each entry comprising a source address and a port number, a destination address and a port number, one or more flags, one or more data sequence numbers, and one or more options.

8. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution on a data processing system, wherein the logic when executed is operable to:

access a data stream comprising connection initiation and termination packets between a plurality of hosts;

open, responsive to connection initiation packets, control blocks for each detected connection;

record, in association with respective control blocks, the arrival times of the connection initiation and termination packets;

close, response to connection termination packets, corresponding control blocks;

compute one or more network statistics based on the recorded arrival times and the number of open control blocks at the end of the data stream.

9. Logic, according to claim 9, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to

specify one or more filters to capture connection initiation and termination packets;

capture the connection initiation and termination packets based on the specified filters;

determine an arrival time for each captured packet.

10. Logic, according to claim 9, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to create or update one or more control blocks, wherein a control block comprises arrival times of connection initiation packets, arrival times of connection termination packets, one or more counters for a response time, one or more counters for a Round Trip Time, one or more counters for a number of bytes, one or more sequence numbers, and one or more flags for a connection termination packet.

11. Logic, according to claim 9, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to calculate a response time based on the time stamps of a connection initiation packet and a connection termination packet, wherein the calculated response time comprises a margin of error of one roundtrip between a client system and a server.

12. Logic, according to claim 9, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to compute a total number of bytes transmitted between a plurality of hosts based on the captured packets.

13. Logic, according to claim 9, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to ascertain the total number of dropped connections between a plurality of hosts by counting the number of open control blocks upon termination of accessing the data stream.

14. Logic, according to claim 9, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to process one or more logs to capture one or more packets based on the specified filters, wherein a log comprises one or more entries, each entry comprising a source address and a port number, a destination address and a port number, one or more flags, one or more data sequence numbers, and one or more options.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory;

one or more processors;

a network interface;

a display;

a mass storage device;

a data logging module, stored in the memory, comprising instructions operable to cause the one or more processors to

monitor data packets traversing the networking protocol stack of the network interface;

log selected data packets by copying them to the mass data storage device, wherein each log entry comprises a source address and a port number, a destination address and a port number, one or more flags, one or more data sequence numbers, and one or more options;

an application, stored in the memory, comprising instructions operable to cause the one or more processors to

access a data stream comprising connection initiation and termination packets between a plurality of hosts;

open, response to connection initiation packets, control blocks for each detected connection;

record, in association with respective control blocks, the arrival times of the connection initiation and termination packets;

close, responsive to connection termination packets, corresponding control blocks;

compute one or more network statistics based on the recorded arrival times and the number of open control blocks at the end of the data stream.

16. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the application further comprises instructions operable to

specify one or more filters to capture connection initiation and termination packets;

capture the connection initiation and termination packets based on the specified filters;

determine an arrival time for each captured packet.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the application further comprises instructions operable to create or update one or more control blocks, wherein a control block comprises arrival times of connection initiation packets, arrival times of connection termination packets, one or more counters for a response time, one or more counters for a Round Trip Time, one or more counters for a number of bytes, one or more sequence numbers, and one or more flags for a connection termination packet.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the application further comprises instructions operable to calculate a response time based on the time stamps of a connection initiation packet and a connection termination packet, wherein the calculated response time comprises a margin of error of one roundtrip time between a client system and a server.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the application further comprises instructions operable to compute a total number of bytes transmitted between a plurality of hosts based on the captured packets.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the application further comprises instructions operable to ascertain the total number of dropped connections between a client system and a server by counting the number of open control blocks upon termination of accessing the data stream.