System and method for caching data in a client management tool

• US 6,889,255 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2000
• Issued: 05/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: DeLuca, Steve A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choudhary, Anita
• Application Number:
  US09/560,447
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-203, 709217-219, 709/224, 709/223, 709/229, 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3447 Performance evaluation by modeling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/885 Monitoring specific for caches

Abstract

A method and system is provided for caching client management data in a capacity planner. Client management data is collected and cached over a selected time period. The collected data is averaged over that time period and is then transmitted to a central collection location. The client management data may be either written into cache directly or into tables contained in the cache.

Claims

1. A method of collecting capacity planning data for a plurality of client machines at a central collection location, said method comprising:

collecting a plurality of performance monitoring data measurements and capacity planning data at two or more of the plurality of client machines, each of the plurality of performance monitoring data measurements being collected over a first specified time interval;

storing the plurality of performance monitoring data measurements in a cache at each of the two or more client machines for a selected time interval, the selected time interval being greater than the first specified time interval;

averaging the cached plurality of performance monitoring data measurements at each of the two or more client machines over the selected time interval, wherein the plurality of performance monitoring data measurements collected at each of the two or more client machines is stored and averaged at each such respective client machine; and

transmitting the averaged performance monitoring data measurements as at least part of the capacity planning data to the central collection location.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said collecting step includes collecting at least one of performance monitoring data measurements and capacity planning data for a plurality of clients.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selected time interval is at least twice as long as the first specified time interval.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least the performance monitoring data measurements are stored in one or more tables in the cache.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least the performance monitoring data measurements are stored in one or more allocated portions of memory.

6. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

collecting a plurality of performance monitoring data measurements and capacity planning data at two or more of the plurality of client machines, each of the plurality of the performance monitoring data measurements being collected over a first specified first time interval;

storing the plurality of performance monitoring data measurements in a cache at each of the two or more client machines for a selected time interval, the selected time interval being greater than the first specified time interval;

averaging the cached plurality of performance monitoring data measurements at each of the two or more client machines over the selected time interval, wherein the plurality of performance monitoring data measurements collected at each of the two or more client machines is stored and averaged at each such respective client machine; and

transmitting the averaged performance monitoring data measurements as at least part of the capacity planning data to the central collection location.

15. The media of claim 6, wherein the selected time interval is at least twice as long as the first time interval.

7. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable components comprising:

a plurality of client collection components for collecting a plurality of performance monitoring data measurements and capacity planning data at two or more of a plurality of client machines, each of the plurality of performance monitoring data measurements being collected over a first specified time interval;

a plurality of client caching components for storing plurality of the performance monitoring data measurements at each of the two or more client machines for a selected time interval, the selected time interval being greater than the first specified time interval;

a plurality of averaging components for averaging the cached plurality of performance monitoring data measurements over the selected time interval at each of the two or more client machines, wherein the plurality of performance monitoring data measurements collected at each of the two or more client machines is stored and averaged at each such respective client machine; and

a plurality of transmission components for transmitting the averaged performance monitoring data measurements as at least part of the capacity planning data to a central collection location.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the transmission components transmit at least one of the performance monitoring data measurements and the capacity planning data upon occurrence of an event.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the event is exceeding of one or more performance thresholds.

14. The media of claim 7, wherein the media is coupled with a computer system having a processor, a memory and an operating environment.

16. The media of claim 7, wherein at least the performance monitoring data measurements are stored in one or more tables in the cache.

17. The media of claim 7, wherein at least the performance monitoring data measurements are stored in one or more allocated portions of memory.

10. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable modules comprising:

means for collecting a plurality of performance monitoring data measurements and capacity planning data, each of the plurality of performance monitoring data measurements being collected over a first specified time interval;

means for storing plurality of the performance monitoring data measurements for a selected time interval, the selected time interval being greater than the first specified time interval;

means for separately averaging the stored plurality of performance monitoring data measurements over the selected time interval; and

means for transmitting the averaged performance monitoring data measurements as at least part of the capacity planning data to a central location.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the transmission means transmits at least one of the performance monitoring data measurements and capacity planning data upon occurrence of an event.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the event is exceeding of one or more performance thresholds.

13. One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon a data structure comprising a data field containing capacity.