Measuring performance metrics of networked computing entities

• US 6,816,886 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2002
• Issued: 11/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bengtson, Carl Robert, Elvanoglu, Ferhan
• Primary Examiner(s): Barot, Bharat
• Application Number:
  US10/177,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20030177264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200-203, 709/206, 709/223-225, 709/229, 709/236, 709/238-242, 709/245-246, 370/254, 370/351, 370/400
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

It is often desirable to measure performance metrics associated with computing entities such as, for example, computers, computer systems, computing devices, software modules, software layers, or the like. As disclosed, performance metrics regarding remote computing entities may be gathered remotely by routing a network message through specific computing entities of interest, and having the computing entities report performance metrics by adding entries into an editable portion of the network message. That editable portion does not include instructions to be executed by the destination computing entity, but is merely transplanted from the request to the response. In the response direction as well, the response may be routed as originally designated in the request, with each intermediary computing entity in the return path potentially adding an entry with performance metrics.

Claims

1. In a computing environment that includes a plurality of computing entities, a method for collecting the statistical properties of one or more of the plurality of computing entities, the method comprising:

an act of designating in a request a route for the request to take on its way to a destination computing entity, the route identifying one or more intermediary computing entities that the request is to be routed through, the request including an editable portion that is configured to be edited without affecting the functioning of the destination computing entity;

an act of issuing the request to a destination computing entity; and

an act of receiving a response to the request, the response including a response to the request as well as information in the editable portion regarding performance statistics concerning the one or more of the intermediary computing entities that was inserted by the one or more of the intermediary computing entities.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the following:

an act of receiving user input regarding the route, wherein the act of designating in a request a route for the request to take on its way to a destination computing entity, comprises an act of designating in the request the route for the request in response to the user input.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the request is in the form of a first XML element.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the editable portion is in the form of a second XML element that is descendant from the first XML element.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the request is in the form of a SOAP envelope.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the editable portion is in the form of an XML element contained within the body of the SOAP envelope.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of issuing the request to a destination computing entity comprises an act of issuing the request within an HTTP network message.

8. A computer program product for use in a computing environment that includes a plurality of computing entities, the computer program product for implementing a method for collecting the statistical properties of one or more of the plurality of computing entities, the computer program product including one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon the following:

computer-executable instructions for designating in the request a route for the request to take on its way to the destination computing entity, the route identifying one or more intermediary computing entities that the request is to be routed through, the request including an editable portion that is configured to be edited without affecting the functioning of the destination computing device;

computer-executable instructions for causing the request to be issued to a destination computing entity; and

computer-executable instructions for detecting the receipt of a response to the request, the response including a response to the request as well as information in the editable portion regarding performance statistics concerning the one or more of the intermediary computing entities that was inserted by the one or more of the intermediary computing entities.

9. A computer program product in accordance with claim 8, wherein the one or more computer-readable media are physical storage media.

10. A computer program product in accordance with claim 8, wherein the one or more computer-readable media further have stored thereon:

computer-executable instructions for detecting the receipt of user input regarding the route, wherein the computer-executable instructions for designating in a request a route for the request to take on its way to a destination computing entity, comprise the following;

computer-executable instructions for designating in the request the route for the request in response to the user input.

11. A computer program product in accordance with claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions for issuing the request to a destination computing entity comprise:

computer-executable instructions for issuing the request within an HTTP network message.

12. In a computing environment that includes a plurality of computing entities, a method for collecting the statistical properties of one or more of the plurality of computing entities, the method comprising the following:

an act of issuing a request to a destination computing entity, the request including an editable portion that is configured to be edited without affecting the functioning of the destination computing entity; and

a step for determining statistical information regarding one or more intermediary computing entities that the request traverses on its way to the destination computing entity, the step including an act of receiving a response to the request as well as information in the editable portion regarding performance statistics concerning the one or more of the intermediary computing entities that was inserted by the one or more of the intermediary computing entities.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the step for determining statistical information regarding intermediary computing entities that the request traverses on its way to the destination computing entity further 679 comprises the following:

an act of designating in the request a route for the request to take on its way to the destination computing entity, the route identifying the one or more intermediary computing entities that the request is to be routed through.

14. In a computing environment that includes a plurality of computing entities, a method for providing statistical properties regarding one of the computing entities, the method comprising the following:

an act of receiving a network message that designates a route for the request to take, the route identifying a group of computing entities including one or more intermediary computing entities that the network message is to be routed through as well as potentially a destination computing entity if the network message is a request, the network message being received at one of the computing entities in the group of computing entities or by the destination computing entity, the request including an editable portion that is configured to be edited without affecting the functioning of the destination computing device;

an act of editing the editable portion of the request to include statistical information regarding the performance of the computing entity;

an act of identifying the next computing entity to send the request to; and

an act of forwarding the request to the next computing entity.

15. A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the method is performed by a computer that has one or more associated processors.

16. A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the method is performed at least in part by an operating system.

17. A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the method is performed at least in part by a software application.

18. A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the method is performed at least in part by a software module.

19. A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the method is performed at least in part by a software layer.

20. A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the method is performed by an intermediary computing entity.

21. A method in accordance with claim 14, wherein the method is performed by a destination computing entity, wherein the act of the receiving a network message comprises an act of receiving a request, wherein the act of forwarding the request to the next computing entity comprises an act of forwarding a response to the request to the next computing entity.

22. A method in accordance with claim 21, further comprising:

an act of transplanting the editable portion of the request to the response.

23. A computer program product including one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the acts recited in claim 14.

24. A computer program product in accordance with claim 23, wherein the one or more computer-readable media are physical storage media.

25. In a computing environment that includes a plurality of computing entities, a method for a providing statistical properties regarding one of the computing entities, the method comprising the following:

an act of receiving a request at a destination computing entity, the request designating a group of computing entities including one or more intermediary computing entities that a response to the request is to be routed through, the request including an editable portion that is configured to be edited without affecting the functioning of the destination computing device;

an act of transplanting the editable portion from the request to the response to the request;

an act of identifying a computing entity to send the response to; and

an act of forwarding a response to the request to the computing entity.

26. A method in accordance with claim 25, further comprising:

an act of editing the editable portion to include statistical information regarding the performance of the destination computing entity.

27. A computer program product including one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions for performing the acts recited in claim 25.

28. A computer program product in accordance with claim 27, wherein the one or more computer-readable media are physical storage media.