Service time analysis methods for the WSM QOS monitor

• US 7,024,477 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Allan, Ronald Campbell
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dustin
• Application Number:
  US09/895,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20030005111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,740 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/224, 702/185
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/805 Real-time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/87 Monitoring of transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• 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 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2871 Implementation details of single intermediate entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2885 Hierarchically arranged intermediate devices, e.g. for hierarchical caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2895 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data provider application, e.g. reverse proxies
• 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 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method, program and system for service time analysis in a computer network are provided. The invention comprises receiving a request from a network client machine and recording the initial time value for the request. The request is forwarded to an origin server. The response stream from the origin server is instrumented with the initial time value (plus the service time taken for the origin server to respond) and sent back to the client machine. A uniform resource identifier (URI) request (e.g. images) is received from the client machine, and the service time for completing the URI is recorded. The URI request is forwarded to the origin server, and the service time value for the URI is updated to reflect the origin server response. The URI response from the origin server is then sent to the client machine.

Claims

1. A method for service time analysis in a computer network, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from a network client machine for an electronic document and recording an initial time value for the request;

forwarding the request to an origin server and receiving a response stream containing the electronic document from the origin server;

sending the response stream to the client machine, wherein the response stream is instrumented to contain the initial time value;

receiving at least one uniform resource identifier (URI) request from the client machine, wherein each received URI request is for a resource embedded within the electronic document;

creating a data structure that contains key/service time value pairs, wherein each pair is associated with one of said URI requests, and each key is an identifier present in its associated URI request;

forwarding each URI request to the origin server, and receiving a corresponding URI response from the origin server;

updating each of the service time values in said data structure, to indicate the time value for completing the response to each of said URI requests;

sending each URI response to the client machine; and

using said keys and updated service time values from said data structure to compute the total time required to respond to all of said requests associated with said electronic document, including all of said URI requests,

wherein the steps are performed by multiple reverse proxy servers, wherein a selected one of said reverse proxy servers acts as the controlling quality-of-service monitor, and the remaining reverse proxy servers are subordinate servers to the controlling monitor.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said data structure comprises a table, and each key in said table of key/time value pairs is a cookie in a request header;

and

said table of key/time value pairs is created and updated by at least one reverse proxy server associated with said origin server.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instrumented response stream further comprises:

the service time taken for the origin server to respond.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein all steps are performed by a single reverse proxy server.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the controlling monitor sends a sample-on command to the subordinate servers;

in response to the sample-on command, the subordinate servers record service time metrics for request transactions;

the controlling monitor sends a sample-off command to the subordinate servers;

in response to the sample-off command, the subordinate sewers send their respective service time records to the controlling monitor; and

the controlling monitor analyzes and reorganizes the service time records from the subordinate servers into a single record.

6. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for use in a data processing system, for service time analysis in a computer network, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for receiving a request from a network client machine for an electronic document and recording an initial time value for the request;

instructions for forwarding the request to an origin server and receiving a response stream containing the electronic document from the origin server;

instructions for sending the response stream to the client machine, wherein the response stream is instrumented to contain the initial time value;

instructions for receiving at least one uniform resource identifier (URI) request from the client machine, wherein each received URI request is for a resource embedded within the electronic document;

instructions for creating a data structure that contains key/service time value pairs, wherein each pair is associated with one of said URI requests, and each key is an identifier present in its associated URI request;

instructions for forwarding each URI request to the origin server, and receiving a corresponding URI response from the origin server;

instructions for updating each of the service time values in said data structure, to indicate the time value for completing the response to each of said URI requests;

instructions for sending each URI response to the client machine; and

instructions for using said keys and said updated service time values from said data structure to compute the total time required to respond to all of said requests associated with said electronic document, including all of said URI requests,

wherein the instructions are performed by multiple reverse proxy servers, wherein a selected one of said reverse proxy servers acts as the controlling quality-of-service monitor, and the remaining reverse proxy servers are subordinate servers to the controlling monitor.

7. The computer program product according to claim 6, wherein said data structure comprises a table, and each key in said table of key/time value pairs is a cookie in a request header;

and

said table of key/time value pairs is created and updated by at least one reverse proxy server associated with said origin server.

8. The computer program product according to claim 6, wherein the instrumented response stream further comprises:

the service time taken for the origin server to respond.

9. The computer program product according to claim 6, wherein all instructions are performed by a single reverse proxy server.

10. The computer program product according to claim 6, further comprising:

instructions for sending a sample-on command from the controlling monitor to the subordinate servers;

in response to the sample-on command, instructions for the subordinate servers to record service time metrics for request transactions;

instructions for sending a sample-off command from the controlling monitor to the subordinate servers;

in response to the sample-off command, instructions for the subordinate servers to send their respective service time records to the controlling monitor; and

instructions for the controlling monitor to analyze and reorganize the service time records from the subordinate servers into a single record.

11. A system for service time analysis in a computer network, comprising:

a first receiving component which receives a request from, a network client machine for an electronic document and records an initial time value for the request;

a first communication component which forwards the request to an origin server and receives a response stream containing the electronic document from the origin server;

a second communication component which sends the response stream to the client machine, wherein the response stream is instrumented to contain the initial time value;

a second receiving component which receives at least one uniform resource identifier (URI) request from the client machine, wherein each received URI request is for a resource embedded in the electronic document;

a component for creating a data structure that contains key/service time value pairs, wherein each pair is associated with one of said URI requests, and each key is an identifier present in its associated URI request;

a third communication component which forwards each URI request to the origin server, and receives a corresponding URI response from the origin server;

an updating component which updates each of the service time values in said data structure, to indicate the time value for completing the response to each of said URI requests;

a fourth communication component which sends each URI response to the client machine; and

a processing component adapted to use said keys and said updated service time values from said data structure to compute the total time required to respond to all of said requests associated with said electronic document, including all of said URI requests,

wherein the components are contained in multiple reverse proxy servers, wherein a selected one of said reverse proxy servers acts as the controlling quality-of-service monitor, and the remaining-reverse proxy servers are subordinate servers to the controlling monitor.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said data structure comprises a table and said system further comprises a register which maintains said table of key/time value pairs, wherein each key is a cookie in a request header;

and

said table of key/time value pairs is created and updated by at least one reverse proxy server associated with said origin server.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the instrumented response stream further comprises:

the service time taken for the origin server to respond.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein all components are contained in a single reverse proxy server.

15. The system according to claim 11, further comprising:

a first communication component which sends a sample-on command from the controlling monitor to the subordinate servers;

a plurality of recording components in the subordinate servers which, in response to the sample-on command, record service time metrics for request transactions;

a second communication component which sends a sample-off command from the controlling monitor to the subordinate servers;

a plurality of response components in the subordinate servers which, in response to the sample-off command, send their respective service time records to the controlling monitor; and

a processor in the controlling monitor which analyzes and reorganizes the service time records from the subordinate servers into a singe record.