Protocol sleuthing system and method for load-testing a network server

• US 7,111,204 B1
• Filed: 08/01/2002
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keysight Technologies Singapore (Holdings) Pte. Limited. (Keysight Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Johnstone, Patrick V., Couturier, Russell L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausoliel, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCARTHY, CHRISTOPHER S
• Application Number:
  US10/210,798
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 714/43, 714/39, 714/25
• US Class Current: 714/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3414 Workload generation, e.g. scripts, playback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3433 for load management allocation of a server based on load conditions G06F9/505; load rebalancing G06F9/5083; redistributing the load in a network by a load balancer H04L67/1029
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• 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

Abstract

A protocol sleuthing system according to the present invention for load testing a network server includes a computer configured to interconnect with the network server, a protocol engine stored in and implemented by the computer and operative to generate a plurality of synthetic users, to generate a synthetic transaction in accordance with a specified protocol, and to cause each of the plurality of synthetic users to sequentially implement a plurality of the synthetic transactions with the network sever for load testing thereof, a configuration file connected to the protocol engine that includes variables required to generate the synthetic transaction, information that defines the behavior of the plurality of synthetic users implementing the synthetic transaction, and information that defines the number of synthetic users to be created by the protocol engine, and a module that is operative to monitor each of the plurality of synthetic transactions implemented by each of the plurality of synthetic users with the network server, to detect any error event occurring during any of the plurality of synthetic transactions implemented by any of the plurality of synthetic users, and to report any error event detected during such network testing.

Claims

1. A protocol sleuthing system for load testing a network server, comprising:

a protocol engine, configured for implementation by means of a computer, is operative to generate a plurality of synthetic users, to generate a synthetic transaction in accordance with a specified protocol, and to cause each of the plurality of synthetic users to sequentially implement a plurality of the synthetic transactions with the network sever for load testing thereof;

a configuration file connected to the protocol engine that includes variables required to generate the synthetic transaction, information that defines the behavior of the plurality of synthetic users implementing the synthetic transaction, and information that defines the number of the plurality of synthetic users to be created by the protocol engine; and

a module that is operative to monitor each of the plurality of synthetic transactions implemented by each of the plurality of synthetic users with the network server, to detect any error event occurring during the plurality of synthetic transactions implemented by the plurality of synthetic users, and to report any error event detected during the load testing;

wherein the protocol engine is operative to ensure that content transferred from the network server does not encumber memory associated with the computer.

2. The protocol sleuthing system of claim 1 further comprising:

a computer configured to connect with the network server and operative to implement the protocol engine, causing each of the plurality of synthetic users to sequentially implement the plurality of the synthetic transactions with the network sever for load testing thereof;

the computer system being further operative to implement the module wherein each of the plurality of synthetic transactions implemented by each of the plurality of synthetic users with the network server is monitored to detect any error event occurring during any of the plurality of synthetic transactions implemented by any of the plurality of synthetic users and report any error event detected during such network testing.

3. The protocol sleuthing system of claim 1 wherein the protocol engine comprises a first set of instructions for establishing a client-server relationship with the network server for each of the plurality of synthetic users.

4. The protocol sleuthing system of claim 1 wherein the protocol engine comprises a second set of instructions for accomplishing one or more tasks defined by the synthetic transaction in accordance with the specified protocol.

5. The protocol sleuthing system of claim 1 wherein the protocol engine comprises a first and second set of instructions for establishing a client-server relationship with the network server for each of the plurality of synthetic users and for accomplishing one or more tasks defined by the synthetic transaction in accordance with the specified protocol.

6. The protocol sleuthing system of claim 5 wherein the protocol engine further comprises a set of control instructions for executing the first and second set of instructions to cause each synthetic user to sequentially implement the plurality of the synthetic transactions with the network server for load testing thereof.

7. The protocol sleuthing system of claim 1 wherein the specified protocol comprises a standard protocol.

8. The protocol sleuthing system of claim 1 wherein the information that defines the behavior of the plurality of synthetic users sequentially implementing the plurality of synthetic transaction comprises the number of implementations of the synthetic transaction by each of the plurality of synthetic users.

9. The protocol sleuthing system of claim 1 wherein the information that defines the behavior of the plurality of synthetic users sequentially implementing the plurality of synthetic transaction comprises the number of implementations of the synthetic transaction by each of the plurality of synthetic users.

10. A protocol sleuthing system for load testing a network server, comprising:

a computer configured to interconnect with the network server;

a protocol engine stored in and implemented by the computer to generate a plurality of synthetic users, to generate a synthetic transaction in accordance with a specified protocol, and to cause each of the plurality of synthetic users to sequentially implement a plurality of the synthetic transactions with the network sever for load testing thereof;

a configuration file connected to the protocol engine that includes variables required to generate the synthetic transaction, information that defines the behavior of the plurality of synthetic users implementing the synthetic transaction, and information that defines the number of synthetic users to be created by the protocol engine; and

a module implemented by the computer to monitor each of the plurality of synthetic transactions implemented by each of the plurality of synthetic users with the network server to detect any error event occurring during any of the plurality of synthetic transactions implemented by any of the plurality of synthetic users report any error event detected during the load testing;

wherein the protocol engine is operative to ensure that content transferred from the network server does not encumber memory associated with the computer.

11. The protocol sleuthing system of claim 10 wherein the protocol engine comprises a first set of instructions for establishing a client-server relationship with the network server for each of the plurality of synthetic users.

12. The protocol sleuthing system of claim 10 wherein the protocol engine comprises a second set of instructions for accomplishing one or more tasks defined by the synthetic transaction in accordance with the specified protocol.

13. The protocol sleuthing system of claim 10 wherein the protocol engine comprises a first and second set of instructions for establishing a client-server relationship with the network server for each of the plurality of synthetic users and for accomplishing one or more tasks defined by the synthetic transaction in accordance with the specified protocol.

14. The protocol sleuthing system of claim 13 wherein the protocol engine further comprises a set of control instructions for executing the first and second set of instructions to cause each synthetic user to sequentially implement the plurality of synthetic transactions with the network sever for load testing thereof.

15. The protocol sleuthing system of claim 10 wherein the specified protocol comprises a standard protocol.