World wide web internet delay monitor

• US 6,411,998 B1
• Filed: 09/08/1997
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kahn, Samuel, Hoffman, Richard Dale, Bryant, Raymond Morris
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US08/924,987
• Time in Patent Office: 1,751 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.54, 395/200.3, 709/217, 709/218, 709/224, 709/248, 709/235, 709/200, 709/203, 709/245, 709/246, 709/223, 705/14, 705/32, 370/229, 370/216, 370/469, 370/230, 375/225, 345/115, 707/104, 713/200
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method of determining Internet delays associated with requests from a Web client connectable to a Web server. The method begins at the Web server in response to a first HTTP request. In particular, the Web server serves a response to the first HTTP request and logs a server processing time associated with serving that response. After the response is delivered back to the Web client that initiated the request, an end user response time associated with the first HTTP request is calculated at the Web client. Upon a new HTTP request (typically the next one), the end user response time associated with the first HTTP request is then passed from the Web client to the Web server in a cookie. The Internet delay associated with the first HTTP request is then calculated by subtracting the server processing time from the end user response time.

Claims

1. A method of determining an Internet delay associated with requests from a Web client connectable to a Web server, comprising the steps of:

at the Web server, and in response to a first HTTP request from the Web client, serving a response to the first HTTP request and logging a server processing time associated with serving the response;

at the Web client, calculating an end user response time associated with the first HTTP request by measuring a length of time from issuance of the first HTTP request until receipt of the requested data from the Web server;

upon a next HTTP request, passing the end user response time associated with the first HTTP request from the Web client to the Web server; and

calculating the Internet delay associated with the first HTTP request.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the Internet delay associated with the HTTP request is calculated by subtracting the server processing time from the end user response time.

3. The method as described in claim 1 further including the step of maintaining at the Web server a unique identifier associated with each response generated by the Web server.

4. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the end user response time is passed to the Web server in a cookie.

5. The method as described in claim 4 wherein the cookie includes the unique identifier.

6. The method as described in claim 5 wherein the cookie also includes the URL of the Web server.

7. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the Web client includes a browser for issuing HTTP requests from the Web client to the Web server.

8. A method of determining an Internet delay associated with requests from a Web client connectable to a Web server, comprising the steps of:

at the Web server, and in response to a first HTTP request from the Web client, serving a response to the first HTTP request and logging a server processing time and a response identifier associated with serving the response;

at the Web client, calculating an end user response time associated with the first HTTP request by measuring a length of time from issuance of the first HTTP request until receipt of the requested data from the Web server;

upon a next HTTP request, passing the end user response time associated with the first HTTP request and the response identifier from the Web client to the Web server in a cookie; and

calculating the Internet delay associated with the first HTTP request by subtracting the server processing time from the end user response time.

9. The method as described in claim 8 wherein the Web client includes a browser for issuing HTTP requests from the Web client to the Web server.

10. The method as described in claim 8 wherein the cookie further includes the URL of the Web server.

11. A computer program product in a computer-readable medium for determining Internet delay associated with an HTTP request from a Web client connectable to a Web server in a computer network, comprising:

first program code means supported at the Web server and responsive to a first HTTP request from the Web client to the Web server for logging a server processing time associated with serving a response; and

second program code means supported at the Web server and responsive to receipt of a second HTTP request from the Web client to the Web server for retrieving data defining the response time of the first HTTP request and using that data to calculate the Internet delay associated with the first HTTP request.

12. The computer program product as described in claim 11 wherein the second program code means calculates the Internet delay associated with the first HTTP request by subtracting the server processing time from the response time.

13. The computer program product as described in claim 11 wherein the data defining the response time of the first HTTP request is contained in a cookie of the second HTTP request.

14. The computer program product as described in claim 13 wherein the cookie further includes the URL of the Web server.

15. The computer program product as described in claim 13 wherein the cookie further includes a unique identifier associated with the response.

16. A computer for use as a server in a computer network having a Web client connectable to the computer, comprising:

a processor;

an operating system;

a Web server program;

first program code means responsive to a first HTTP request from the Web client to the Web server program for logging a server processing time associated with serving the response; and

second program code means responsive to receipt of a second HTTP request from the Web client to the Web server program for retrieving data defining the response time of the first HTTP request and using that data to calculate the Internet delay associated with the first HTTP request.

17. The computer as described in claim 16 wherein the second program code means calculates the Internet delay associated with the first HTTP request by subtracting the server processing time from the response time.

18. The computer as described in claim 16 wherein the data defining the response time of the first HTTP request is contained in a cookie of the second HTTP request.

19. The computer as described in claim 18 wherein the cookie also includes the URL of the Web server.

20. The computer as described in claim 18 wherein the cookie further includes a unique identifier associated with the response.

21. A method of determining an Internet delay associated with requests from a client connectable to a server, comprising the steps of:

at the server, and in response to a first transfer request from the client, serving a response to the first transfer request and logging a server processing time associated with serving the response;

at the client, calculating an end user response time associated with the first transfer request by measuring a length of time from issuance of the first transfer request until receipt of the requested data from the server;

upon a next transfer request, passing the end user response time associated with the first transfer request from the client to the server; and

calculating the Internet delay associated with the first transfer request.

22. The method as described in claim 21 wherein the transfer protocol is selected from the group of transfer protocols consisting of HTTP, SMTP, FTP, NMTP and Telnet.