System and method for ascertaining an displaying connection-related performance data in networks

• US 6,892,219 B1
• Filed: 01/29/1999
• Issued: 05/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lerenc, Vedran, Sandvoss, Jochen
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz B.
• Application Number:
  US09/240,118
• Time in Patent Office: 2,293 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709217-219, 709/224, 709/247, 345/327, 434/62, 710/29, 213/201
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/32 with visual or acoustical indication of the functioning of the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention describes a system and method for ascertaining and displaying connection-related performance data. Performance data in networks, in particular in the application area of WWW applications, such as web browsers, for example, is ascertained and displayed. The technical feasibility of expanding HTML documents retrospectively to include performance data, such as loading speed or time, is integrated into the layout of the referenced document. The performance data can be expanded in a proxy, which adds a loading speed or time to be expected to the document to be forwarded.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting and displaying files requested from an inquiring system (client) to a replying system (server) via a data network, wherein files of a defined format are stored on the server with references (hyperlinks) to other files, comprising the steps of:

a) identifying files with references (hyperlinks) to other files;

b) generating performance data for loading each of said files associated with said references; and

c) integrating said performance data into a graphical display of said references prior to selection of one of said references.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that said performance data indicates a transmission speed per quantity of data for said each of said files with references to be loaded or the expected loading time for said each of said files.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that the hyperlinks are identified via their reference to other files.

4. The method in accordance with claim 3, characterized in that the hyperlinks in HTML language are identified via Anchor tags.

5. The method in accordance with claim 4, characterized in that the performance data are determined via a TCP/IP ping mechanism, in that the availability and response time of the server are determined from an inquiry by the client to the server and its response.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the performance data are determined from transmission rates from previous accesses to the server, previous transmission values being filed in a table and a prognosis being established for a future transmission rate for the server concerned.

7. The method in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that an HTTP-head inquiry regarding characteristics of a referenced file is effected by the client and said expected loading time is determined from said file characteristics in combination with said previous transmission values.

8. The method in accordance with claim 7, characterized in that method steps a) to c) are part of a program which is installed in a client.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8, characterized in that method steps a) to c) are part of a browser.

10. The method in accordance with claim 9, characterized in that transmission of files from the server to the client is effected via the HTTP protocol.

11. The method in accordance with claim 10, characterized in that the files to be transmitted contain one or more hypertext documents.

12. The method in accordance with claim 11, characterized in that said performance data are only visible when a mouse pointer is placed on a hyperlink.

13. The method in accordance with claim 12, characterized in that the client is part of an intranet and the server is part of the internet and method steps a) to c) are executed by a program which is installed on a data processing system, which connects the intranet to the internet.

14. The method in accordance with claim 7, characterized in that method steps a) to c) are part of a program which is installed on a further data processing system, which is connected to the client and the server via a data line.

15. A document management system for transmitting documents from a server system, which can be used in an internet, to a client system, which can be used in an intranet, the documents being capable of being stored on the server system in a defined format with references (hyperlinks) to other documents, which can be stored on the same or other servers, characterized in that performance data for loading documents referenced by the hyperlinks are definable and the performance data can be integrated into a display of said hyperlinks prior to selection of one of said hyperlinks.

16. The document management system in accordance with claim 15, characterized in that the document management system can be installed on any client or on a data processing system which makes the intranet connectable to the internet.

17. The document management system in accordance with claim 16, characterized in that the document management system is part of a browser, which can be installed on the client system.

18. The document management system in accordance with claim 17, characterized in that the performance data are definable via a TCP/IP ping mechanism, an availability and response time of the server being definable from an inquiry of the client to the server and its response thereto.

19. The document management system in accordance with claim 17, characterized in that the performance data are definable from transmission rates from previous accesses to the server, a previous transmission value being storable in a table and from this a prognosis being ascertainable for a future transmission rate for the server concerned.

20. The document management system in accordance with claim 17, characterized in that the performance data can be interrogated by an HTTP-head inquiry by the client regarding file characteristics and a loading time to be expected is determinable from these file characteristics.

21. A computer program recorded on computer readable medium for transmitting and displaying files requested from an inquiring system (client) to a replying system (server) via a data network, wherein files of a defined format are stored on the server with references (hyperlinks) to other files, comprising:

a) computer readable means for identifying files with references (hyperlinks) to other files;

b) computer readable means for generating performance data for loading each of said files references; and

c) computer readable means for integrating said performance data into a graphical display of said references prior to selection of one of said references.