System and method for simulating activity on a computer network

• US 6,772,107 B1
• Filed: 11/08/1999
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: JD Edwards World Source Company (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Downum, James E., La Cascia, Leo J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMSON, WILLIAM D
• Application Number:
  US09/436,686
• Time in Patent Office: 1,730 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/220, 709/221, 703/17, 703/19, 703/20, 703/21, 703/22, 703/2, 714/47, 714/48
• US Class Current: 703/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3414 Workload generation, e.g. scripts, playback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet

Abstract

The system for simulating user activity on a multi-tier computer network includes an event capture database for capturing interface level information and kernel level information associated with the interface level information. A virtual script editor module creates a virtual script from the captured interface level information and captured kernel level information to simulate user activity on the network. A virtual script playback module is responsive to the virtual script to produce virtual kernel level information indicative of network and server activity associated with a virtual user.

Claims

1. A system for simulating activity on a multi-tiered computer network, comprising:

a processor;

a storage device; and

software means operative on said processor for identifying parameters and for capturing interface level information and kernel level information associated with said interface level information in said storage device, and for creating a virtual script from said captured interface level information and said kernel level information to produce virtual kernel level information for middleware wherein said virtual kernel level information comprises parameters and associated values indicative of user activity on the multi-tiered computer network wherein the multi-tiered computer network comprises a plurality of servers.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said virtual kernel level information includes database information and application information to simulate multi-tier user activity on the computer network.

3. A system according to claim 1, further including a script storage means for storing said virtual script.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein said script storage means stores a plurality of virtual scripts, each one of said plurality of virtual scripts being representative of an individual simulated user activity.

5. A system according to claim 1, further including playback means responsive to said virtual script for producing said virtual kernel level information.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said software means also capture thread information associated with said kernel level information.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said virtual script produces said virtual kernel level information with virtual thread information corresponding to said thread information.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said thread information includes event information indicative of thread events and event timing information indicative of subsequent thread event start times, and said virtual thread information includes virtual event information indicative of virtual thread events corresponding to said thread events and timed according to said event timing information.

9. A computer-usable storage medium having a computer program embodied therein for causing a computing system having database middleware and application middleware to simulate user activity on a multi-tiered computer network by performing the following steps when the computer program is executed on the computing system:

supplying virtual database kernel level information to the database middleware to simulate user database activity on the multi-tiered computer network wherein the multi-tiered computer network comprises a plurality of servers;

storing stream of consciousness information in an event capture database wherein said stream of consciousness information indicates events generated directly or indirectly from user activity; and

supplying virtual application kernel level information to the application middleware to simulate user application activity on the multi-tiered computer network.

10. A storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the computer program further performs the step of supplying thread information to the database middleware and the application middleware.

11. A system for simulating activity on a multi-tiered computer network, comprising:

means for capturing interface level information, and for capturing kernel level database information and kernel level application information associated with said interface level information; and

means for identifying types of values included in at least one of said captured level information, and said captured kernel level database information and kernel level application information; and

means for creating a virtual script from said captured interface level information, said kernel level database information and said kernel level application information to produce virtual kernel level database information for requesting database services to simulate user activity on the multi-tiered computer network wherein the multi-tiered computer network comprises a plurality of servers.

12. A system according to claim 11, further including a virtual script playback means responsive to said virtual script for producing said virtual kernel level database information and said virtual kernel level application information.

13. A system according to claim 11, further including virtual script storage means for storing said virtual script.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein said virtual script storage means stores a plurality of virtual scripts, each one of said plurality of virtual scripts being representative of an individual simulated user activity.

15. A system according to claim 11, wherein said capture means also captures thread information associated with said kernel level database information and kernel level application information.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein said virtual script produces said virtual kernel level database information and said virtual kernel level application information with virtual thread information corresponding to said thread information.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein said thread information includes event information indicative of thread events and event timing information indicative of subsequent thread event start times, and said virtual thread information includes virtual event information indicative of virtual thread events corresponding to said thread events and timed according to said event timing information.

18. A method for simulating activity on a multi-tiered computer network, comprising:

capturing interface level information;

capturing kernel level database information and kernel level application information associated with said interface level information;

storing stream of consciousness information comprising at least one of said captured interface level information, kernel level database information and kernel level application information wherein the stream of consciousness information indicates events generated directly or indirectly from user activity; and

creating a virtual script from said captured interface level information, said kernel level database information and said kernel level application information to produce virtual kernel level database information for requesting database services and virtual kernel level application information for requesting application services to simulate user activity on the multi-tiered computer network wherein the multi-tiered computer network comprises a plurality of servers.

19. A method according to claim 18, further including producing said virtual kernel level database information and said virtual kernel level application information according to said virtual script.

20. A method according to claim 18, further including storing said virtual script.

21. A method according to claim 20, further including storing a plurality of virtual scripts, each one of said plurality of virtual scripts being representative of an individual simulated user activity.

22. A method according to claim 18, further including capturing thread information associated with said kernel level database information and kernel level application information.

23. A method according to claim 22, further including producing said virtual kernel level information and said virtual kernel level application information with virtual thread information corresponding to said thread information.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein said thread information includes event information indicative of thread events and event timing information indicative of subsequent thread even start times, and said virtual thread information indicative of virtual thread events corresponding to said thread events, the method further including timing the occurrence of said virtual thread events according to said event timing information.

25. A system for simulating user activity on a multi-tiered computer network, comprising:

storage means for maintaining service request information including parameter information, and for maintaining thread information including interval information, wherein said parameter information comprises information identifying parameters;

editor means for selectively linking said parameter information to generate virtual user session information, and for incorporating said thread information into said virtual user session information; and

playback means responsive to said virtual user session formation and said interval information for generating virtual kernel level information indicative of the user activity wherein the multi-tiered computer network comprises a plurality of servers.