Method, system, and program for diagnosing a computer in a network system

• US 7,093,169 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2003
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Merriam, Greg Elliot
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUNCAN, MARC M
• Application Number:
  US10/734,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20040153792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 714/47, 714/46, 714/27, 709/224
• US Class Current: 714/47.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet

Abstract

Disclosed is a method, system, and program for diagnosing a computer over a network, such as the Internet. A program, such as an applet, is provided that executes on the computer. The program causes the computer to download at least one object from a server over the network. Performance data is determined with respect to downloading the object from the server to the computer over the network in order to diagnose performance problems with the computer. The determined performance data is then transmitted to a diagnostic system over the network.

Claims

1. A method for diagnosing a customer computer over a network, comprising:

initiating a customer service session to provide technical support of the customer computer;

transmitting a program to execute on the customer computer, wherein the program causes the customer computer to perform;

(i) downloading at least one object from a server to the customer computer over the network;

(ii) determining performance data comprising a network transmission time to download the object from the server to the customer computer over the network to diagnose performance problems with the customer computer;

(iii) displaying at the customer computer being diagnosed both the determined performance data for the customer computer and average performance data to provide information to diagnose the customer computer, wherein the average performance data includes network performance data for other computers in the network;

(iv) transmitting the determined performance data to a diagnostic system over the network; and

using the performance data transmitted to the diagnostic system to provide technical support for the customer computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic computer stores the performance data as a record in a database.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the diagnostic program displays the performance data from the customer computer being diagnosed and average performance data determined from the database at the server to provide information to diagnose the customer computer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the program comprises transmitting the program over the network to diagnose the customer computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the program causes the customer computer to further perform:

detecting a presence of a condition occurring as a result of downloading the at least one object from the server;

building an electronic message addressed to the diagnostic computer including information on the detected condition; and

transmitting the electronic message to the diagnostic computer over the network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance data includes trace route data indicating the route packets comprising the object travel through the network when transmitted from the server to the customer computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic program comprises an applet that executes within an Internet web browser program executing on the customer computer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the average performance data is provided from information in a database having network performance data for multiple computers in the network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the network performance data is gathered from the computers in the network by transmitting the program to the computers in the network to cause the computers to transmit their determined performance data, wherein the determined performance data from the computers is stored in the database.

10. A computer system for diagnosing a customer computer over a network, wherein a server is coupled to the network, comprising:

means for initiating a customer service session to provide technical support of the customer computer;

means for transmitting a program to execute on the customer computer, wherein the program causes the customer computer to perform;

(i) downloading at least one object from the server to the customer computer over the network;

(ii) determining performance data comprising a network transmission time to download the object from the server to the customer computer over the network to diagnose performance problems with the customer computer;

(iii) transmitting the determined performance data over the network; and

(iv) displaying at the customer computer being diagnosed both the determined performance data for the customer computer and average performance data to provide information to diagnose the customer computer, wherein the average performance data includes network performance data for other computers in the network;

means for receiving the performance data transmitted from the customer computer; and

means for using the received performance data transmitted to provide technical support for the customer computer.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for storing the performance data as a record in a database.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the program displays at the customer computer being diagnosed both the determined performance data for the customer computer and average performance data determined from the database to provide information to diagnose the customer computer.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for displaying the performance data from the customer computer being diagnosed and average performance data determined from the database to provide information to diagnose the customer computer.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the program is transmitted over the network to diagnose the customer computer.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the program causes the customer computer to further perform:

detecting a presence of a condition occurring as a result of downloading the at least one object from the server;

building an electronic message addressed to the diagnostic computer including information on the detected condition;

transmitting the electronic message to the diagnostic computer over the network.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the performance data includes trace route data indicating the route packets comprising the object travel through the network when transmitted from the server to the customer computer.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the diagnostic program comprises an applet that executes within an Internet web browser program executing on the customer computer.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the average performance data is provided from information in a database having network performance data for multiple computers in the network.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the network performance data is gathered from the computers in the network by transmitting the program to the computers in the network to cause the computers to transmit their determined performance data, wherein the determined performance data from the computers is stored in the database.

20. An article of manufacture for use in diagnosing a customer computer over a network, wherein a server is coupled to the network, and wherein the article of manufacture comprises computer readable storage medium including at least one computer program embedded therein that causes a diagnostic system to perform:

initiating a customer service session to provide technical support of the customer computer;

transmitting a diagnostic program to execute on the computer, wherein the program causes the customer computer to perform;

(i) downloading at least one object from the server to the customer computer over the network;

(ii) determining performance data comprising a network transmission time to download the object from the server to the customer computer over the network to diagnose performance problems with the customer computer;

(iii) transmitting the determined performance data to the diagnostic system over the network; and

(iv) displaying at the customer computer being diagnosed both the determined performance data for the customer computer and average performance data to provide information to diagnose the customer computer, wherein the average performance data includes network performance data for other computers in the network; and

using the performance data transmitted to the diagnostic system to provide technical support for the customer computer.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 20, wherein the diagnostic computer stores the performance data as a record in a database.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the diagnostic program displays the performance data from the customer computer being diagnosed and average performance data determined from the database at the server to provide information to diagnose the customer computer.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 20, wherein providing the program comprises transmitting the program over the network to diagnose the customer computer.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 20, wherein the program causes the customer computer to further perform;

detecting a presence of a condition occurring as a result of downloading the at least one object from the server;

building an electronic message addressed to the diagnostic computer including information on the detected condition; and

transmitting the electronic message to the diagnostic computer over the network.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 20, wherein the performance data includes trace route data indicating the route packets comprising the object travel through the network when transmitted from the server to the computer.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 20, wherein the diagnostic program comprises an applet that executes within an Internet web browser program executing on the customer computer.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 20, wherein the average performance data is provided from information in a database having network performance data for multiple computers in the network.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 27, wherein the network performance data is gathered from the computers in the network by transmitting the program to the computers in the network to cause the computers to transmit their determined performance data, wherein the determined performance data from the computers is stored in the database.