Monitoring Web Service Transactions

• US 20090006614A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vercara LLC
• Original Assignee: Neustar Incorporated
• Inventors: Drees, Tim, Ratchitsky, Lenny, Le, Bach, Kirwan, Peter, Saftoiu, Rares
• Granted Patent: US 8,892,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring web service transactions include a monitoring server that is configured to monitor a web service transaction. The monitoring server allows a user to describe a sequence of web service requests that in combination define a web service transaction. The monitoring server sends out the web service requests in sequence to remote agents that are deployed in geographically diverse locations. The agents send the requests to the target web service and the results are provided back to the monitoring server. The monitoring server receives the results and then dynamically constructs the next request in the series based on the sequence of requests from the user and data from the response to a prior request. The dynamically constructed next request is then sent to remote agents for execution and the results are provided to the monitoring server.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for automatic monitoring of a web service transaction comprising a plurality of requests to one or more web services, the method comprising:

receiving a sequence of web service requests that collectively comprise the web service transaction;

storing the sequence of steps in a data storage area;

periodically executing the web service transaction and recording the results of said execution, wherein executing the web service transaction comprises;

executing a first web service request in the sequence of web service requests;

receiving a response to the first web service request;

identifying a second web service request in the sequence of web service requests;

modifying said second web service request; and

executing said modified second web service request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an alert when the results of said execution meet a predetermine criteria.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein recording the results comprises storing the results of each web service request that is executed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying said second web service request comprises including data from a response to a prior web service request in said second web service request.

5. A computer readable medium having stored thereon one or more sequences of instructions for causing one or more microprocessors to perform the steps for automatic monitoring of a web service transaction comprising a plurality of requests to one or more web services, the steps comprising:

receiving a sequence of web service requests that collectively comprise the web service transaction;

storing the sequence of steps in a data storage area;

periodically executing the web service transaction and recording the results of said execution, wherein executing the web service transaction comprises;

executing a first web service request in the sequence of web service requests;

receiving a response to the first web service request;

identifying a second web service request in the sequence of web service requests;

modifying said second web service request; and

executing said modified second web service request.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein the steps further comprise sending an alert when the results of said execution meet a predetermine criteria.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein recording the results comprises the step of storing the results of each web service request that is executed.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein modifying said second web service request comprises the step of including data from a response to a prior web service request in said second web service request.

9. A system for automatic monitoring of a web service transaction comprising a plurality of requests to one or more web services and corresponding responses, the system comprising:

one or more remote agents communicatively coupled with a monitoring server and one or more target web services via a communication network;

a monitoring server communicatively coupled with the one or more remote agents and the one or more target web services via the communication network;

wherein the monitoring server comprises a transaction module configured to execute a sequence of web service requests that collectively comprise the web service transaction wherein data received in response to a prior web service request is used to modify a subsequent web service request in the sequence of web service requests, the monitoring server further configured to analyze the results of the sequence of web service requests to identify an alert condition.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the monitoring server further comprises an alert module configured to send an alert upon identification of a predetermined condition.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the monitoring server further comprises a data storage area configured to store the sequence of web service requests and data received in response to a web service request.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the monitor server is configured to parse data received in response to a web service request and store a portion of said data in a variable in said data storage area.