Terminal server data file extraction and analysis application

• US 6,691,259 B1
• Filed: 09/19/2000
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Mackey, Kyle Joseph James, Hengst, Matthew James, Whitener, Mark Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Iqbal, Nadeem
• Application Number:
  US09/664,101
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 714/46, 714/47, 714/48, 714/39, 714/18, 714/45, 714/27, 714/31, 714/37, 714/20
• US Class Current: 714/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535

Abstract

Parametric data accumulation means are accumulated in a Terminal Server data file which uses a performance measurement tool program to accumulate operational data occurring in multiple client users which operate on a Terminal Server. Data is accumulated in regard to the log-on time for multiple and various different types of application programs. Each of these parameters are evaluated over a sequence of different operating conditions during periods where the parametric evaluations occur when there is a small number of client users and then over a sequence of expanded operations until there is a large number of concurrent active client users. Subsequently, the Terminal Server data file is formatted and categorized into a database which is used to create a graphical chart of performance plus specific lists of performance for each client-user correlated to each available Application Program.

Claims

1. A method for graphically analyzing and displaying the test performance parameters of multiple concurrent client-users comprising the steps of:

(a) accessing a Terminal Server data file to get test performance data parameters accumulated during a test run cycle which provided various application programs to each of a multiple number of concurrent client-users;

(b) formatting said test performance data into logical files such as client-user ID, Name of Application Program to be accessed, time period required to access program, and time-moment sequence value of each test completed;

(c) sorting said test performance data into performance categories for said logical files;

(d) plotting and graphing said performance data onto a Windows screen.

2. In a PC bank holding multiple personal computers serving multiple client users, said PC bank connected to a test server means for establishing performance criteria of said server farm and said client users, a method of accumulating performance parameters for each client and organizing them for observable display to enable analysis of the host Terminal Server under variable operating conditions, comprising the steps of:

(a) Loading a Terminal Server data file with operating data providing operational parameters during simulated client operations;

(b) utilizing an Excel program to initiate a sequence of operations for organizing the data in said timer log file;

(c) querying each set of accumulated Terminal Server data files in a sequential series of actions;

(d) sorting said Terminal Server data files into selected categories for subsequent display;

(e) calculating the values of each parameter involved for each Terminal Server data file.

3. The method of claim 2 which includes the step of:

(f) Graphically portraying said parameters for ease of analysis of the operating conditions to indicate those which are acceptable and those which are not acceptable.

4. A method for graphical analysis display of the accumulated results from a performance measuring tool comprising the steps of:

(a) Simulating operations of different application programs for each of a multiple number of client users;

(b) sequencing a cycle of operations so that the number of concurrent client users operates from a small number of client users to a large number of client users;

(c) logging parametric data in a timer log file for each occurrence of designated actions during said sequencing of the test cycle;

(d) sorting said parametric data into performance categories;

(e) displaying said parametric data for analysis by an operator.

5. A system for organizing and displaying the results from performance testing of a terminal server, wherein each server services multiple clients, comprising:

(a) Terminal Server means for servicing multiple clients (10a-10n);

(b) means for connecting said server farm means (10) to Back-end End Servers means (14) to a Monitor Control Servers means (16) and to a test-server Server means (18);

(c) said Back-end Servers means (14) for providing a simulated real world environment to said server farm means (10) and its multiple clients (10a-10n);

(d) said Monitor-Control Server means (16) for distributing and executing scripts and for accumulating timer log files of performance parameters for each individual client (10x);

(e) program organizing means for collecting, sorting, and formatting said parametric data in said timer log files for separation into various parametric categories enabling the display of the working parameters of said terminal server during operating conditions which vary from a small number of client users to a large number of client users.

6. A system which interconnects multiple numbers of client-users for accumulating parametric performance data on each Client-user wherein said system provides graphical outputs indicating the values of the various parameters of the accumulated parametric data for view by an analyst, said system comprising:

(a) means for accumulating parametric operational data for a sequence of different programs to be accessed and opened by each one of said multiple number of Client-users wherein said parametrical operation data includes;

(a1) logon time required for each Client-User to access each particular Application Program out of a group of available Application Programs;

(a2) the time-moment value of the test result occurring for each Client-user correlated with each Application program;

(b) means for developing said parametric operational data during a test cycle which ranges from a small number of concurrent Client-users to a very large number of concurrent Client-users;

(c) means for developing said parametric operational data in an individual test cycle where only one Client-user is involved;

(d) means for graphically displaying a graph indicating the milliseconds required for an individual Client-user to access a particular Application Program where there are various different number of multiple concurrent users;

(e) means for accessing, sorting, and organizing said parametric data into selected categories for providing an output display which enables an analyst to evaluate the operational efficiency of said terminal server under different operating conditions in terms of various numbers of concurrent users at each given moment of time;

(f) means to differentiate performance characteristics between multiple users operating on a single PC terminal thus providing the ability to make a full and more accurate analysis of the clients'"'"' actions independent of otherwise indistinguishable factors such as network performance, geographic location, and PC performance.

7. The system of claim 6 which includes:

(g) means for graphically displaying a graph indicating the milliseconds required for an individual client-user to access a particular Application Program when there are multiple concurrent users.

8. In a PC farm holding multiple Personal Computers servicing multiple simulated Client-PC'"'"'s in a Terminal Server providing Terminal Server Script programs, allowing multiple simultaneous sessions, said PC farm connected to a test server means for establishing performance characteristics of said simulated clients, a method of graphically displaying each script program, the period from log-on time to response, and the time period from initiating to opening an application, comprising the steps of:

(a) supplying test scripts, via a control server means, to each one of said multiple Clients;

(b) providing a simulated Client program to each one of said multiple Clients;

(c) providing, via a test server means, Client space in memory for each one of said Clients;

(d) initiating said Terminal Server Client script for connection to a selected Client and a Timer program means which logs the start time of application program initiation and the stop time when the application is available;

(e) accessing a Terminal Server data file to get test performance data parameters accumulated during a test run cycle which provided various application programs to each of a multiple number of concurrent Client-users;

(f) formatting said test performance data into logical files such as Client-user ID, Name of Application Program to be accessed, time period required to access program, and time-moment sequence value of each test completed;

(g) sorting said test performance data into performance categories for said logical files;

(h) plotting and graphing said performance data onto a Windows screen.

9. A system for performance testing of a Terminal Server means with multiple servers which enables graphical display of test performance parameters of multiple Client-users, comprising:

(a) Terminal Server means (10) for servicing multiple Client-users (10a-10n);

(b) means for connecting said Server Farm means to a Back-End Server means (14), to a Monitor-Control server means (16), and to a Test-Server means (18);

(c) said Back-End Servers means (14) for providing a simulated real world environment to said Farm (10);

(d) said Monitor-Control Server means (16) for distributing and executing scripts and for collecting Timer Log files for performance parameters for each individual Client-User;

(e) said Test Server (18) means for sensing mouse operations and keyboard strokes for each of said Client-Users;

(f) means for accumulating parametric operational data for a sequence of different programs to be accessed and opened by each one of said multiple number of Client-users;

(g) means for accessing, sorting, and organizing said parametric data into selected categories for providing an output display which enables an analyst to evaluate the operational efficiency of said terminal server under different operating conditions in terms of various numbers of concurrent users at each given moment in time.