Method and apparatus for measurement, analysis, and optimization of content delivery

• US 6,928,471 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2001
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Quest Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quest Software, Inc.
• Inventors: Whitehouse, Mark P., Wixted, William G., Pabari, Vipul J., Willis, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holmes, Michael B.
• Application Number:
  US09/850,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20020173857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• Field of Search: 709219-224
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/142 using statistical or mathematical methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/028 by filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

An apparatus and method for measurement, analysis, and optimization of content delivery over a communications network is presented. In one embodiment, the apparatus detects data packets en route over a communications network. The detected data packets are read by the apparatus, combined into application messages, and further combined into user centric events. The events are analyzed to identify metrics and statistics relating to the delivery of content over a communications network and the experience of the end user. The metrics and statistics are saved in a data storage area. When the metrics exceed a configurable threshold, the apparatus provides real-time notification of content delivery problems or end user experience problems. Alternatively, the system can take action to proactively prevent anticipated content delivery problems or end user experience problems.

Claims

1. A data analyzer for measuring, analyzing, and optimizing the delivery of content over a communications network having an information server communicatively coupled with a network appliance, the apparatus comprising;

an internet protocol layer configured to receive a data packet and combine a plurality of data packets into a datagram;

a transmission control protocol layer configured to receive a datagram from the internet protocol layer, wherein the datagram comprises content and additional information, the transmission control protocol layer additionally configured to combine a plurality of datagrams into an application message;

an application selection layer configured to receive an application message from the transmission control protocol layer, wherein the application message comprises content and additional information, the application selection layer further configured to identify an application related to the application message;

an application decoding layer configured to receive an application message with additional information from the application selection layer and combine related application messages into a data object comprising a plurality of data elements.

2. The data analyzer of claim 1, wherein the additional information with the application message comprises a client network address and server network address combination and wherein application messages with the same client network address and server network address combination are identified as related.

3. The data analyzer of claim 2, wherein the client network address comprises an internet protocol address and a port number and wherein the server network address comprises an internet protocol address and a port number.

4. The data analyzer of claim 1, further comprising a root analyzer configured to receive the data object, identify the type of data object, and route the data object to an appropriate sub-analyzer.

5. The data analyzer of claim 4, wherein a sub-analyzer is configured to receive the data object, parse the data object to determine the elements of the data object, and then store the elements of the data object in a data storage area.

6. An apparatus for measuring, analyzing, and optimizing the delivery of content over a communications network having an information server communicatively coupled with a network appliance, the apparatus comprising:

a network interface communicatively coupling the apparatus to the network;

a packet detector configured to read a data packet from the network,

a data analyzer configured to combine a plurality of related application messages into a data object comprising a plurality of data elements, the data analyzer comprising;

an internet protocol layer configured to receive a data packet and combine a plurality of data packets into a datagram;

a transmission control protocol layer configured to receive a datagram from the internet protocol layer, wherein the datagram comprises content and additional information, the transmission control protocol layer additionally configured to combine a plurality of datagrams into an application message;

an application selection layer configured to receive an application message from the transmission control protocol layer, wherein the application message comprises content and additional information, the application selection layer further configured to identify an application related to the application message; and

an application decoding layer configured to receive an application message with additional information from the application selection layer and combine related application messages into a data object comprising a plurality of data elements;

a root analyzer configured to determine the data object type and route the data object to a sub-analyzer;

a sub-analyzer configured to parse the data object into data elements and store the data elements in a data storage area.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the packet detector is further configured to passively read data packets from the work.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the data object comprises a data element corresponding to an initial content request time and a data element corresponding to a completed content delivery time, the sub-analyzer further configured to determine a response time for delivery of the requested content.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the response time comprises a server response time.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the response time comprises a user-experienced response time.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the user-experienced response time comprises a server component and a network component.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the network component is obtained by determining the elapsed time between a TCP_SYN_REC packet and a corresponding TCP_ESTABLISHED packet.

13. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the data analyzer is further configured to determine a client network address and a server network address combination for each application message and identify application messages with the same client network address and server network address combination as related application messages.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the client network address comprises an internet protocol address and a port number and wherein the server network address comprises an internet protocol address and a port number.