Network Site Testing

• US 20090222508A1
• Filed: 05/06/2009
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Edward A. Hubbard
• Original Assignee: Edward A. Hubbard
• Inventors: Hubbard, Edward A.
• Application Number:
  US12/436,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20090222508A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Various embodiments enable a server system to transmit a test workload to N distributed devices, request that the N distributed devices execute the test workload by requesting a service from a network site, and receive results from the N distributed devices indicating a quality of service received by the N distributed devices. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method may include: transmitting an incentive to M number of distributed devices to join a distributed processing system, transmitting a test workload to N number of distributed devices, the N distributed devices being a subset of the M distributed devices, sending a request to the N distributed devices to execute the test workload by accessing and requesting at least one service from at least one network site, and receiving results from at least some of the N distributed devices, the results indicating a quality of service provided by the at least one network site to at least some of the N distributed devices.

Claims

1. A distributed processing system, comprising:

a server system configured to be coupled to one or more distributed devices and configured to;

transmit a test workload to N number of distributed devices, the distributed processing system comprising a greater M number of distributed devices;

send a request to the N distributed devices to execute the test workload, the N distributed devices being configured to execute the test workload by accessing a network site and requesting at least one service from the network site; and

receive results from the N distributed devices, the results indicating a quality of service received by the N distributed devices.

2. The distributed processing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the test workload comprises at least one test procedure and/or test parameter.

3. The distributed processing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the quality of service corresponds to a time to perform a service for a distributed device.

4. The distributed processing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the server system is further configured to transmit different test workloads to different distributed devices.

5. The distributed processing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the server system is further configured to:

compile the results received from the N distributed devices; and

modify at least one network site responsive to the compiled results.

6. The distributed processing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the server system is further configured to receive a status from at least one distributed device, the status indicating a quality of service received by the distributed device.

7. The distributed processing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the server system is further configured to send a software agent to at least one distributed device, the software agent configured to execute a test workload at a time.

8. The distributed processing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the server system is further configured to provide an incentive to at least one distributed device to join the distributed processing system.

9. The distributed processing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the server system is further configured to receive a request from at least one client system to test a network site.

10. A tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions that, if executed by a computing device, implement a software agent configured to perform a method, comprising:

receiving a request to process a test workload;

receiving a test workload and a first time interval, the test workload configured to request a service by accessing least one network site;

executing the test workload at the first time interval; and

sending a status at a second time following the first time interval, the status indicating a quality of service received by the computing device.

11. The tangible computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the test workload comprises at least one test procedure and/or test parameter.

12. The tangible computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the quality of service corresponds to a time to perform a service for the computing device.

13. The tangible computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the first time interval is selected to coincide with a network site'"'"'s peak usage.

14. The tangible computer-readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the sending comprises sending the status responsive to a request from a server system.

15. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

transmitting, by a server system, an incentive to M number of distributed devices to join a distributed processing system;

transmitting, by the server system, a test workload to N number of distributed devices, the N distributed devices being a subset of the M distributed devices;

sending, by the server system, a request to the N distributed devices to execute the test workload by accessing at least one network site and requesting at least one service from the at least one network site; and

receiving, by the server system, results from at least some of the N distributed devices, the results indicating a quality of service provided by the at least one network site to the at least some of the N distributed devices.

16. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 15, wherein the test workload comprises at least one test procedure and/or test parameter.

17. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 15, wherein the quality of service corresponds to a time to perform a service for a distributed device.

18. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 15, further comprising sending, by the server system, a different test workload to at least one distributed device.

19. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

compiling, by the server system, the results received from the at least some of the N distributed devices; and

modifying, by the server system, at least one network site responsive to the compiled results.

20. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

determining, by the server system, if a distributed device has failed to receive a service from a network site; and

increasing, by the server system, a number of distributed devices requesting a service from the network site responsive to the distributed device failing to receive a service.

21. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions that, if executed by a server system, cause the server system to perform a method comprising:

sending a software agent to N number of distributed devices selected from a greater M number of distributed devices, the software agent configured to execute a test workload;

sending a test workload to each of the N distributed devices, the test workload configured to request a service from at least one network site; and

sending a request to the N distributed devices to execute the test workload.

22. The computer-readable medium as recited by claim 21, wherein the computer-executable instructions, if executed by the server system, cause the server system to perform a method further comprising receiving results from the N distributed devices, the results indicating a quality of service received by the N distributed devices.

23. The computer-readable medium as recited by claim 22, wherein the quality of service corresponds to a time to perform a service for at least one distributed device.

24. The computer-readable medium as recited by claim 21, wherein the software agent is configured to execute a test workload at a predetermined time.