System and method for internet gateway performance charting

• US 5,961,598 A
• Filed: 06/06/1997
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: Electronic Data Systems Corporation (Perspecta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sime, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US08/871,157
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.53, 395/200.54, 707/10, 707/109, 707/514, 707/500, 707/3
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 related to network traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/067 using time frame reporting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A system for Internet gateway performance charting includes an internal network (10) having one or more servers interconnecting a plurality of computing devices (12). The system also includes an Internet gateway (16) coupled to the internal network (10) and to the public Internet (14). The Internet gateway (16) provides connectivity between the internal network (10) and the public Internet (14). The Internet gateway (16) also executes an application that gathers statistics on the performance of the Internet gateway (16) and prepares a file (19) storing statistics information. The system includes a designated server (18) of the internal network (10) that executes an application that periodically receives the file (19) from the Internet gateway (16), processes the file (19), recovers the statistics information, and populates a database (21) with statistics data. The system further includes a computing device (12) of the plurality of computing devices (12) that executes an application that obtains statistics data from the database (21) and displays selected performance charts (23) based upon that statistics data such that a user of the computing device (12)'"'"' can view performance charts of the Internet gateway (16).

Claims

1. A system for Internet gateway performance charting, comprising:

an internal network having one or more servers interconnecting a plurality of computing devices;

an Internet gateway coupled to the internal network and to a public Internet, the Internet gateway providing connectivity between the plurality of computing devices of the internal network and the public Internet, and the Internet gateway executing an application that gathers statistics on the performance of the Internet gateway and prepares a statistics file storing statistics information;

a designated server of the internal network, the designated server operable to periodically receive and process the statistics file from the Internet gateway, the designated server operable to recover the statistics information from the statistics file, the designated server including a database, the designated server operable to populate the database with statistics data based upon the statistics information from the statistics file;

a computing device of the plurality of computing devices operable to execute an application that obtains statistics data from the database and displays selected performance charts based upon the statistics data such that a user of the computing device can view performance charts of the Internet gateway;

additional Internet gateways coupled to the internal network and to the public Internet, the additional Internet gateways providing connectivity between the plurality of computing devices of the internal network and the public Internet, and the additional Internet gateways each executing an application that gathers statistics on the performance of the Internet gateway and prepares a statistics file storing statistics information;

wherein the designated server is operable to periodically receive and process the statistics files from the additional Internet gateways, the designated server operable to recover the statistics information from the statistics files, the designated server operable to populate the database with statistics data based upon the statistics information from the statistics files; and

wherein the application executed by the computing device further allows the user of the computing device to view performance charts of selected Internet gateways.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the application executed by the computing device provides the user with a selection list of chart types.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the chart types include user activity-related charts and resource usage-related charts.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the Internet gateway periodically initiates a transfer of the statistics file to the designated server.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the transfer is initiated automatically by the Internet gateway.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the transfer is accomplished using a file transfer protocol (FTP) session.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the designated server periodically initiates a transfer of the statistics file from the Internet gateway.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the transfer is initiated automatically by the designated server.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the transfer is accomplished using an FTP session.

10. A computing device for displaying Internet gateway performance charts to a user, comprising:

a memory storing a client application;

a network interface to an internal network; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor executing the client application such that the computing device is operable;

to obtain statistics data from a database located on a designated server in the internal network, the statistics data related to performance of a plurality of Internet gateways servicing the internal network; and

to display a selected performance chart based upon the statistics data such that a user of the computing device can view a performance chart for any combination of the plurality of Internet gateways.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the computing device is further operable to provide the user with a selection list of chart types.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the chart types include user activity-related charts and resource usage-related charts.

13. A method for Internet gateway performance charting, comprising:

automatically gathering statistics on the performance of a plurality of Internet gateways, each Internet gateway providing connectivity between an internal network and a public Internet;

preparing a file of statistics information associated with each Internet gateway;

storing the file of statistics information on each Internet gateway;

periodically transferring the file of statistics information from each Internet gateway to a designated server of the internal network;

populating a database on the designated server with statistics data based upon the statistics information from the file of statistics information; and

displaying a selected performance chart based upon the statistics data such that a user can view a performance chart of any Internet gateway.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein displaying the selected performance chart is accomplished by a computing device of the internal network.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the selected performance chart is one of a plurality of chart types provided in a selection list.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the chart types include user activity-related charts and resource usage-related charts.