USING DIFFERENT CONNECTIVITY CHECKS TO DETERMINE CAUSES OF CONNECTIVITY ISSUES

• US 20140379894A1
• Filed: 06/21/2013
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Zhao, Zhipeng, Zhu, Zhengwen, Allen, Nicole, Hughes, Bradley, Avila, Dionicio, McGrath, Shawn, Nelson, Jason, Tait, John, Whitney, Aaron
• Granted Patent: US 9,544,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0645 by additionally acting on or stimulating the network after receiving notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity

Abstract

Connectivity is tested using different locations and contexts selected from different possible failure zones. The failure zones may include: client failure zones; Internet failure zones; and online service failure zones. The results relating to different connectivity tests performed using the different failure zones are correlated and analyzed in an attempt to determine a root cause of the connectivity issue. For example, the root cause may be determined to be a configuration problem of the client, a problem with the client'"'"'s networking equipment, an ISP problem, an Internet backbone problem; a problem of the online service, and the like. Different contexts may also be used when performing the tests. These results may be compared to the other connectivity test results. The results from the tests may be provided to the client experiencing the problem. Aggregated test results may also be used to detect service wide issues and trigger an alert.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing connectivity issues between a client and a service, comprising:

performing a client connectivity test between a client location within a client failure zone to a service location within a service failure zone and receiving client connectivity test results;

performing an outside connectivity test between a network location within the Internet failure zone and the service location within the service failure zone and receiving outside connectivity test results;

automatically analyzing the client connectivity test results and the outside connectivity test results to determine a possible cause of a connectivity issue; and

displaying the possible cause of the connectivity issue.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the client connectivity test between the client location within the client failure zone to the service location within the service failure zone, comprises using a client computing device within the client failure zone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the client connectivity test between the client location within the client failure zone to the service location within the service failure zone, comprises using an account of the client when performing a first client connectivity test and using a test account when performing a second client connectivity test.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing from the online service a service connectivity test between the service location within the service failure and the client location within the client failure zone;

receiving service connectivity test results; and

automatically analyzing the client connectivity test results, the outside connectivity test results, and the service connectivity test results to determine the possible cause of the connectivity issue.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the client connectivity test comprises performing a plurality of connectivity checks from a client computing device in the client failure zone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the possible cause of the connectivity issue comprises displaying a message within an application experiencing the connectivity issue a possible solution to the connectivity issue.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically analyzing the client connectivity test results and the outside connectivity test results to determine the possible cause of the connectivity issue is specific to the client.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the client failure zone comprises a client computing device and a client network environment, wherein the Internet failure zone comprise an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and an Internet backbone;

and wherein the service failure zone comprises a service computing device and a service network environment.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing many different connectivity tests for each of the client connectivity test and the Internet connectivity test.

10. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for analyzing connectivity issues between a client and a service, comprising:

performing client connectivity tests between a client location within a client failure zone to a service location within a service failure zone and receiving client connectivity test results;

perform an outside connectivity test between a network location within the Internet failure zone and the service location within the service failure zone and receiving outside connectivity test results;

automatically analyzing the client connectivity test results and the outside connectivity test results to determine a possible cause of a connectivity issue; and

displaying the possible cause of the connectivity issue.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein performing the client connectivity tests between the client location within the client failure zone to the service location within the service failure zone, comprises using a client computing device within the client failure zone.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein performing the client connectivity tests between the client location within the client failure zone to the service location within the service failure zone, comprises using an account of the client when performing a set of first client connectivity tests and using a test account when performing a second set of client connectivity tests.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising performing from the online service a service connectivity test between the service location within the service failure and the client location within the client failure zone;

receiving service connectivity test results; and

automatically analyzing the client connectivity test results, the outside connectivity test results, and the service connectivity test results to determine the possible cause of the connectivity issue.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein automatically analyzing the client connectivity test results and the outside connectivity test results to determine the possible cause of the connectivity issue is specific to the client.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the client failure zone comprises a client computing device and a client network environment, wherein the Internet failure zone comprise an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and an Internet backbone;

and wherein the service failure zone comprises a service computing device and a service network environment.

16. A system for analyzing connectivity issues between a client and a service, comprising:

a processor and memory;

an operating environment executing using the processor; and

a connectivity manager that is configured to perform actions comprising;

performing client connectivity tests using a client computing device between a client location within a client failure zone to a service location within a service failure zone and receiving client connectivity test results;

performing outside connectivity tests between a network location within the Internet failure zone and the service location within the service failure zone and receiving outside connectivity test results;

automatically analyzing the client connectivity test results and the outside connectivity test results to determine a possible cause of a connectivity issue; and

displaying the possible cause of the connectivity issue.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein performing the client connectivity tests between the client location within the client failure zone to the service location within the service failure zone, comprises using an account of the client when performing a set of first client connectivity tests and using a test account when performing a second set of client connectivity tests.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising performing from the online service a service connectivity test between the service location within the service failure and the client location within the client failure zone;

receiving service connectivity test results; and

automatically analyzing the client connectivity test results, the outside connectivity test results, and the service connectivity test results to determine the possible cause of the connectivity issue.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising aggregating results by aggregating the client connectivity test results, the outside connectivity test results, and the service connectivity test results;

analyzing the aggregated results to determine a service wide issue and automatically triggering an alert in response to determining the service wide issue.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the client failure zone comprises a client computing device and a client network environment, wherein the Internet failure zone comprise an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and an Internet backbone;

and wherein the service failure zone comprises a service computing device and a service network environment.