Systems for monitoring command execution time

• US 6,483,813 B1
• Filed: 06/25/1999
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Andrew Blencowe
• Original Assignee: Argentanalytics.Com, Inc.
• Inventors: Blencowe, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcelo, Melvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Waite, Scott A.
• Application Number:
  US09/344,679
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 370/503, 370/252, 714/47, 714/39, 714/25
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3414 Workload generation, e.g. scripts, playback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/805 Real-time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/87 Monitoring of transactions

Abstract

A monitoring system for monitoring the typical response time required to execute a command at a desired remote site, e.g. a website. The monitoring system includes a mechanism for synchronizing the real-time internal clock at both the administrative node and the transaction node. Once both real-time internal clocks are synchronized, a synthetic transaction is generated by the administrative node and sent to the transaction node. The instant at which the command is sent is recorded by the administrative node. The command is received by the transaction node and each important step involved in executing the command is recorded with a time stamp information. Once the command has been completed, the results of the synthetic command, e.g. the requested data, drawing(s), diagram(s) or information, are sent to the administrative node along with the time stamp information indicating the elapsed time for executing each important step of the synthetic transaction. The instance at which the results of the synthetic command are received at the administrative node is recorded and the total elapsed response time for executing the command is then determined. Thereafter, the time line information of both the administrative node and the transaction node can be combined with one another, due to the synchronization of the clocks, and the administrative node can generate a time line indicating the total response time required to execute each important step of the command. This information is useful in facilitating a reduction in the total response time required to execute a command sent from remote node site to another remote node.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a total response time for executing a synthetic transaction over a communication system, said monitoring system comprising:

a communication system for conveying information;

an administrative node being coupled to the communication system and the administrative node having an internal clock;

a transactional node being coupled to the communication system and the transactional node having an internal clock;

means for synchronizing the internal clock of both the administrative node and the transaction node to display an identical time;

means for generating and sending a synthetic transaction from the administrative node to the transaction node for execution via the communication system and recording the sending time of the synthetic transaction;

means for receiving and executing, at the transaction node, the synthetic transaction sent by the administrative node while recording a time of receipt of the synthetic transaction and a required time to complete each desired step of the synthetic transaction;

means for transmitting a result of the synthetic transaction to the administrative node, via the communication system, along with time information indicating the time required to complete each desired step of the synthetic transaction; and

means for generating the total response time required to execute the synthetic transaction.

2. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the means for synchronizing comprises:

means for requesting and receiving a plurality of time samples from a desired clock, via the communication system, and determining an average time delay from an instance when a request for a time sample is made by the administrative node to an instance when the requested time sample is received by the administrative node; and

means for combining a final requested time sample, received from the desired clock, with the determined average time delay and using this combined time to synchronize the internal clock of the administrative node;

means for requesting and receiving a plurality of time samples from a desired clock, via the communication system, and determining an average time delay from an instance when a request for a time sample is made by the transactional node to an instance when the requested time sample is received by the transactional node; and

means for combining a final requested time sample, received from the desired clock, with the determined average time delay and using this combined time to synchronize the internal clock of the transactional node.

3. The monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein the means for synchronizing further comprises:

means for adjusting the final requested time sample of at least one of the transactional node and the administrative node so that an hour component of the final requested time coincides with an hour component of the desired time zone.

4. The monitoring system according to claim 2, wherein said means for synchronizing further comprises:

means for adjusting an hour of the final time sample, prior to synchronization of the internal clock of at least one of the administrative node and the transactional node, to compensate for any time zone difference between a location of the administrative node and a location of the transactional node.

5. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the means for synchronizing further comprises:

means for requesting and receiving a plurality of time samples from the internal clock at the transactional node and determining an average time delay from an instance when a request for a time sample is made by the administrative node to an instance when the requested time sample is received by the administrative node from the transactional node; and

means for combining a final requested time sample, received from the transactional node, with the determined average time delay and using this combined time to synchronize the internal clock of the administrative node with the internal clock of the transactional node.

6. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein the means for synchronizing further comprises:

means for requesting and receiving a plurality of time samples from the internal clock at the administrative node and determining an average time delay from an instance when a request for a time sample is made by the transactional node to an instance when the requested time sample is received by the transactional node from the administrative node; and

means for combining a final requested time sample, received from the administrative node, with the determined average time delay and using this combined time to synchronize the internal clock of the transactional node with the internal clock of the administrative node.

7. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said means for generating and sending a synthetic transaction further comprises:

means for setting settings of a server forming part of the communication system;

upon transmission of the synthetic transaction, means for recording time information, via the server, relating to all important data passing through the server; and

means for sending the time information, recorded by the server, to the administrative node along with the result of the synthetic transaction.

8. The monitoring system according to claim 7, wherein said means for generating and sending a synthetic transaction further comprises:

means for resetting the settings of the server following completion of the synthetic transaction.

9. The monitoring systems according to claim 1, wherein said means for synchronizing the internal clock of both the administrative node and the transaction node to display an identical time is coupled to receive time information supplied via the communication systems.

10. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said means for synchronizing further comprises a mechanism for establishing a modem connection, between the administrative node and a desired first clock, to receive time information;

and

means for establishing a modem connection, between the transaction node and a desired second clock, to receive time information; and

both the desired first and second clocks display identical times.

11. The monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said transaction node and said administrative node is provided with means for adjusting an hour component of at least the final requested time sample received from the desired clock to facilitate modification of the final requested time sample to a desired time zone.

12. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said means for synchronizing further comprises a mechanism for establishing a wireless connection, between the administrative node and a desired first clock, to receive time information;

and

means for establishing a wireless connection, between the transaction node and a desired second clock, to receive time information; and

both the desired first and second clocks display identical times.

13. The monitoring system according to claim 1, wherein said means for synchronizing further comprises:

means for contacting a desired first clock to receive time information for synchronizing the internal clock of the transaction node; and

means for contacting a desired second clock, separate from the first clock, to receive time information for synchronizing the internal clock of the administrative node.

14. A system for monitoring a total response time for executing a synthetic transaction over a communication system, said monitoring system comprising:

a communication system for conveying information;

an administrative node being coupled to the communication system and the administrative node having an internal clock;

a transactional node being coupled to the communication system and the transactional node having an internal clock;

means for synchronizing the internal clock of both the administrative node and the transaction node to display an identical time;

means for generating and sending a synthetic transaction from the administrative node to the transaction node for execution via the communication system and recording the sending time of the synthetic transaction;

means for receiving and executing, at the transaction node, the synthetic transaction sent by the administrative node while recording a time of receipt and a required time to complete each desired step of the synthetic transaction;

means for transmitting a result of the synthetic transaction to the administrative node, via the communication system, along with time information indicating the time required to complete each desired step of the synthetic transaction;

means for generating the total response time required to execute the synthetic transaction;

wherein the means for synchronizing comprises;

means for requesting and receiving a plurality of time samples from a desired clock, via the communication system, and determining an average time delay from an instance when a request for a time sample is made by the administrative node to an instance when the requested time sample is received by the administrative node;

means for combining a final requested time sample, received from the desired clock, with the determined average time delay and using this combined time to synchronize the internal clock of the administrative node;

means for requesting and receiving a plurality of time samples from a desired clock, via the communication system, and determining an average time delay from an instance when a request for a time sample is made by the transactional node to an instance when the requested time sample is received by the transactional node;

means for combining a final requested time sample, received from the desired clock, with the determined average time delay and using this combined time to synchronize the internal clock of the transactional node;

means for adjusting an hour of the final time sample, prior to synchronization of the internal clock of at least one of the administrative node and the transactional node, to compensate for any time zone difference between a location of the administrative node and a location of the transactional node; and

said means for generating and sending a synthetic transaction further comprises;

means for setting settings of a server forming part of the communication system;

upon transmission of the synthetic transaction, means for recording time information, via the server, relating to all important data passing through the server; and

means for sending the time information, recorded by the server, to the administrative node along with the result of the synthetic transaction; and

means for resetting the settings of the server following completion of the synthetic transaction.

15. A method for monitoring a total elapsed response time for executing a command over a communication system,the method comprising the steps of:

providing a communication system for conveying information;

coupling an administrative node to the communication system and providing the administrative node with an internal clock;

coupling a transactional node to the communication system and providing the transactional node with an internal clock;

synchronizing the internal clock of both the administrative node and the transaction node to display an identical time;

generating and sending a synthetic transaction from the administrative node to the transaction node for execution via the communication system and recording the sending time of the synthetic transaction;

receiving and executing, at the transaction node, the synthetic transaction sent by the administrative node while recording a time of receipt of the sent synthetic transaction and a required time to complete each desired step of the synthetic transaction;

transmitting a result of the synthetic transaction to the administrative node, via the communication system, along with time information indicating the time required to complete each desired step of the synthetic transaction; and

generating the total response time required to execute the synthetic transaction.

16. The method according to claim 15 further comprising the step of modifying one of the communication system and the transactional node to decrease the response time for executing the synthetic command over the communication system.