Network interaction analysis arrangement

• US 7,330,889 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2003
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aurea Software Incorporated (ESW Capital, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Actional Corp. (Progress Software Corporation)
• Inventors: Foody, Daniel M, Clements, Michael R
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): EL CHANTI, HUSSEIN A
• Application Number:
  US10/379,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20040177141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,804 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-224, 709/238, 709/217, 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/064 involving time analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV

Abstract

In a network through which service providing nodes are interconnected, one or more software elements at each service providing node process the network operations. A client interceptor coupled in an examine node to a selected software element intercepts transmissions from the software element to record transmission flow control information. A server interceptor coupled in the examine mode to the selected software element intercepts transmissions to the software element to record transmission flow control information. An administrative node of the network examines the transmission flow control information from the selected software elements to assess network operation.

Claims

1. A computer network interconnecting a plurality of service providing nodes each including software elements for performing computer network tasks and an administrative node for monitoring the computer network tasks, at least one of the service providing nodes comprising:

a plurality of software elements in an application layer of the service providing node for coupling to other software elements in the same application layer and in the application layers of other service providing nodes of the network to process operations of the network;

an interceptor unit for each software element of the at least one service providing node, the interceptor unit being coupled to its software element in response to selection of the software element by the administrative node for intercepting transmissions in the application layer from the selected software element to other software elements in the same and different service providing nodes and for intercepting transmissions in the application layer to the selected software element from other software elements in the same and different service providing nodes wherein said interceptor unit further forms a record of information pertaining to the transmissions at the selected software element and each record of transmission pertaining information further comprises a chain correlation identifier to identify an operation of a selected software element in its performance of a network task and an interaction correlation identifier to identify an interaction of a selected software element with another software element; and

a transfer unit responsive to a transfer command from the administrative node to the selected software element for transferring the record pertaining to transmission pertaining information from the interceptor unit to the administrative node, in order to monitor operations of network tasks.

2. The computer network according to claim 1, wherein the interceptor unit comprises a first interceptor coupled to the selected software element to intercept the transmissions from the selected software element and a second interceptor is coupled to the selected software element to intercept the transmissions to the selected software element.

3. The computer network according to claim 2, wherein the administrative node includes a selection unit for selecting the software elements in which the first and second interceptors are coupled to the selected software elements.

4. The computer network according to claim 3, wherein each selected software element includes a storage unit for storing the transmission information pertaining records of the first and second interceptors coupled to the selected software element.

5. The computer network according to claim 3, wherein the administrative node further comprises a combining unit for combining the transmission information pertaining records from selected software elements to form a set of records of interactions of the selected software elements of the service providing nodes.

6. The computer network according to claim 5, wherein each transmission information pertaining record of a selected software element includes a logical thread identifier identifying a network task of the selected software element, and wherein the combining unit includes a network task record forming unit responsive to the logical thread identifier of the information pertaining records for forming a group of the transmission information pertaining records of the network task.

7. The computer network according to claim 6, wherein the combining unit includes an interaction record forming unit responsive to the chain correlation identifiers and the interaction correlation identifiers for generating a set of interaction records including data of transmission information pertaining records of the network task.

8. The computer network according to claim 2, wherein the first interceptor is inserted at an outgoing side of the selected software element isolated from the operation of the selected software element and the second interceptor is inserted at an incoming side of the selected software element isolated from the operation of the selected software element so that the operation of the selected software element is not affected by the inserted first and second interceptors.

9. The computer network according to claim 1, wherein the information pertaining to transmission recorded at the interceptor includes data of at least one of response time and error states of an interaction between the selected software element and another software element and data of a time of occurrence of the interaction.

10. The computer network according to claim 1, wherein the selected software element further comprises a statistics forming unit responsive to the transmission pertaining information at the interceptor unit coupled to the selected software element for forming data of at least one of interaction counts, failure counts, average response time of the selected software element, average response time of the selected software element when serving requests from another specific software element, percentage of calls to a specific software element that came from another specified software element and percentage of calls from a specified software element that are sent to another specified software element.

11. The computer network according to claim 2, wherein the first interceptor coupled to the selected software element initiating a network task generates a network task identifier for transmission to the software elements engaged in the network task.

12. The computer network according to claim 11, wherein the coupled first interceptor in a selected software element sending a request transmission provides an identifier identifying an operation of the selected software element and an identifier identifying an interaction between the selected software element and a software element receiving the request transmission associates the selected software element operation identifier with the interaction identifier.

13. The computer network according to claim 12, wherein, in the request transmission to a receiving selected software element, the second interceptor of the selected receiving software element provides an identifier identifying the operation of the receiving software element, associates the receiving software element identifier with the interaction identifier identifying the interaction between the selected receiving software element and the selected software element sending the request transmission and records the interaction identifier.

14. The computer network according to claim 13, wherein, in a reply transmission from the selected software element receiving the request, the second interceptor coupled to the selected software element sending the reply transmission removes the association of the interaction identification with the software element operation identifier.

15. The computer network according to claim 14, wherein, in a reply transmission to the selected software element receiving the reply, the first interceptor coupled to the selected software element receiving the reply transmission, removes the association of the interaction identification with the software element operation identifier.

16. The computer network according to claim 1, wherein the interceptor of the selected software element includes a detector for detecting an at least one of an error and a failure in the transmission pertaining information and further includes a notifying unit for notifying the examining unit of a network task being processed by the selected software element.

17. The computer network according to claim 16, wherein the administrative node further includes an analysis unit, responsive to the notification, for requesting information pertaining records of the network task in which the at least one of the error and the failure is detected from the selected software elements.

18. The computer network according to claim 1, wherein the information pertaining to transmission recorded at the interceptor unit includes data of at least one of response time and error states of an interaction between the selected software element and another software element and data of a time of occurrence of the interaction.

19. The computer network according to claim 1, wherein the selected software element further comprises a statistics forming unit responsive to the transmission pertaining information at the interceptor coupled to the selected software element for forming data of at least one of interaction counts, failure counts, average response time of the selected software element, average response time of the selected software element when serving requests from another specific software element, percentage of calls to a specific software element that came from another specified software element and percentage of calls from a specified software element that are sent to another specified software element.

20. In a computer network interconnecting a plurality of service providing nodes each service providing node comprising software elements for performing computer network tasks and an administrative node for monitoring the computer network tasks, at least one service providing node including a plurality of software elements, a method of monitoring interactions among software elements comprising:

selecting, by the administrative node, software elements for monitoring software element interactions between software elements in an application layer of the same service providing node and application layers of different service providing nodes; and

intercepting transmissions in the application layer from a selected software element to software elements in the same and in the different service providing modules and transmissions in the application layer to the selected software element from software elements in the same and in the different service providing nodes at an interceptor unit coupled to the selected software element to form a record of information pertaining to the transmissions at the selected software element that further comprises a chain correlation identifier to identify an operation of a selected software element in its performance of a network task and an interaction correlation identifier to identify an interaction of a selected software element with another software element; and

transferring said information record pertaining to the transmissions to said administrative node, which further comprises forming an interaction record that is responsive to both a chain correlation identifier and a interaction correlation identifier and generating a set of interaction records, which include data from both records of transmission pertaining information and records of performance of a network task, and enabling the administrative node for monitoring operations of network tasks responsive to the recorded transmission pertaining information.

21. In a computer network interconnecting a plurality of service providing nodes each service providing node comprising software elements for performing computer network tasks and an administrative node for monitoring the computer network tasks, at least one service providing node including a plurality of software elements, a method of monitoring interactions among software elements according to claim 20, wherein the transmissions from the selected software element are intercepted by a first interceptor and the transmissions to the selected software element are intercepted by a second interceptor.

22. In a computer network interconnecting a plurality of service providing nodes each service providing node comprising software elements for performing computer network tasks and an administrative node for monitoring the computer network tasks, at least one service providing node including a plurality of software elements, a method of monitoring interactions among software elements according to claim 21, wherein the monitoring includes selecting software elements in which the first and second interceptors are coupled to the selected software elements.

23. In a computer network interconnecting a plurality of service providing nodes each service providing node comprising software elements for performing computer network tasks and an administrative node for monitoring the computer network tasks, at least one service providing node including a plurality of software elements, a method of monitoring interactions among software elements according to claim 22, wherein the transmission information pertaining records of the first and second interceptors coupled to the selected software element are stored in the selected software element.

24. In a computer network interconnecting a plurality of service providing nodes each service providing node comprising software elements for performing computer network tasks and an administrative node for monitoring the computer network tasks, at least one service providing node including a plurality of software elements, a method of monitoring interactions among software elements according to claim 22, wherein the monitoring at the administrative node comprises combining the transmission information pertaining records from selected software elements to form a set of records of interactions of the selected software elements of the service providing nodes.

25. In a computer network interconnecting a plurality of service providing nodes each service providing node comprising software elements for performing computer network tasks and an administrative node for monitoring the computer network tasks, at least one service providing node including a plurality of software elements, a method of monitoring interactions among software elements according to claim 24, wherein said information record pertaining to the transmissions is of a selected software element and includes a logical thread identifier identifying a network task of the selected software element, and wherein the combining step includes forming a group of the information pertaining records of the network task responsive to the logical thread identifier of the information pertaining records.

26. In a computer network interconnecting a plurality of service providing nodes each service providing node comprising software elements for performing computer network tasks and an administrative node for monitoring the computer network tasks, at least one service providing node including a plurality of software elements, a method of monitoring interactions among software elements according to claim 21, wherein the first interceptor is inserted at an outgoing side of the selected software element isolated from the operation of the selected software element and the second interceptor is inserted at an incoming side of the selected software element isolated from the operation of the selected software element so that the operation of the selected software element is not affected by the inserted first and second interceptors.

27. In a computer network interconnecting a plurality of service providing nodes each service providing node comprising software elements for performing computer network tasks and an administrative node for monitoring the computer network tasks, at least one service providing node including a plurality of software elements, a method of monitoring interactions among software elements according to claim 20, wherein said information record pertaining to the transmissions includes data of at least one of response time and error states of an interaction between the selected software element and another software element and data of a time of occurrence of the interaction.

28. In a computer network interconnecting a plurality of service providing nodes each service providing node comprising software elements for performing computer network tasks and an administrative node for monitoring the computer network tasks, at least one service providing node including a plurality of software elements, a method of monitoring interactions among software elements according to claim 20 further comprising forming an interaction record comprising a statistical record responsive to the transmission pertaining information at the interceptor coupled to the selected software element including data of at least one of interaction counts, failure counts, average response time of the selected software element, average response time of the selected software element when serving requests from another specific software element, percentage of calls to a specific software element that came from another specified software element and percentage of calls from a specified software element that are sent to another specified software element.

29. In a computer network interconnecting a plurality of service providing nodes each service providing node comprising software elements for performing computer network tasks and an administrative node for monitoring the computer network tasks, at least one service providing node including a plurality of software elements, a method of monitoring interactions among software elements according to claim 21, wherein the step of enabling the administrative node further comprises initiating a network task by generating a network task identifier in a selected software element initiating the network task for transmission to the software elements engaged in the network task.

30. In a computer network interconnecting a plurality of service providing nodes each service providing node comprising software elements for performing computer network tasks and an administrative node for monitoring the computer network tasks, at least one service providing node including a plurality of software elements, a method of monitoring interactions among software elements according to claim 29, wherein, in a selected software element sending a request transmission, an identifier identifying an operation of the selected software element and an identifier identifying an interaction between the selected software element and a software element receiving the request transmission are provided by the first interceptor and the software element operation identifier is associated with the interaction identifier.

31. In a computer network interconnecting a plurality of service providing nodes each service providing node comprising software elements for performing computer network tasks and an administrative node for monitoring the computer network tasks, at least one service providing node including a plurality of software elements, a method of monitoring interactions among software elements according to claim 30, wherein, in the request transmission to a receiving selected software element, an identifier identifying the operation of the receiving selected software element is provided by the second interceptor of the receiving selected software element, the receiving software element identifier is associated with the interaction identifier identifying the interaction between the selected receiving software element and the software element sending the request transmission and the interaction identifier and the interaction identifier is recorded by the second interceptor of the receiving software element.

34. In a computer network interconnecting a plurality of service providing nodes each service providing node comprising software elements for performing computer network tasks and an administrative node for monitoring the computer network tasks, at least one service providing node including a plurality of software elements, a method of monitoring interactions among software elements according to claim 20, wherein at least one of an error and a failure in the transmission pertaining information is detected in the interceptor of the selected software element and the administrative node is notified of the detected at least one of the error and the failure by the selected software element.

35. In a computer network interconnecting a plurality of service providing nodes each service providing node comprising software elements for performing computer network tasks and an administrative node for monitoring the computer network tasks, at least one service providing node including a plurality of software elements, a method of monitoring interactions among software elements according to claim 34, wherein the administrative node requests transmission pertaining information records of the network task in which the at least one of the error and the failure is detected from the selected software elements responsive to notification of the at least one of the error and the failure.

36. In a computer network interconnecting a plurality of service providing nodes each service providing node comprising software elements for performing computer network tasks and an administrative node for monitoring the computer network tasks, at least one service providing node including a plurality of software elements, a method of monitoring interactions among software elements according to claim 20, wherein said information record pertaining to the transmissions includes data of at least one of response time and error states of an interaction between the selected software element and another software element and data of a time of occurrence of the interaction.

37. In a computer network interconnecting a plurality of service providing nodes each service providing node comprising software elements for performing computer network tasks and an administrative node for monitoring the computer network tasks, at least one service providing node including a plurality of software elements, a method of monitoring interactions among software elements according to claim 20 wherein the generating of interaction records further comprises forming a statistical record responsive to the transmission pertaining information at the interceptor coupled to the selected software element including data of at least one of interaction counts, failure counts, average response time of the selected software element, average response time of the selected software element when serving requests from another specific software element, percentage of calls to a specific software element that came from another specified software element and percentage of calls from a specified software element that are sent to another specified software element.

32. In a computer network interconnecting a plurality of service providing nodes each service providing node comprising software elements for performing computer network tasks and an administrative node for monitoring the computer network tasks, at least one service providing node including a plurality of software elements, a method of monitoring interactions among software elements according to 32, wherein, in a reply transmission from the selected software element receiving the request, the association of the interaction identifier with the software element identifier is removed in the second interceptor coupled to the selected software element sending the reply transmission.

33. In a computer network interconnecting a plurality of service providing nodes each service providing node comprising software elements for performing computer network tasks and an administrative node for monitoring the computer network tasks, at least one service providing node including a plurality of software elements, a method of monitoring interactions among software elements according to claim 32, wherein, in a reply transmission to the selected software element receiving the reply, the association of the interaction identification with the software element operation identifier is removed in the first interceptor coupled to the selected software element receiving the reply transmission.

38. A system for monitoring operations of a computer network interconnecting service providing nodes and an administrative node monitoring computer network tasks, comprising:

software elements at each service providing node, with at least one service providing node including a plurality of software elements, for interacting with other software elements in an application layer of the same service providing node and in different service providing nodes for processing operations of the network;

intercepting means coupled in a monitoring mode to a software element selected by the administrative node for intercepting transmissions in the application layer from the selected software element to other software elements in the same and in the different service providing nodes in the network and transmissions in the application layer to the selected software element from other software elements in the same and in the different service providing nodes in the network to form a record of information pertaining to the transmissions at the selected software element that further comprises a chain correlation identifier to identify an operation of a selected software element in its performance of a network task and an interaction correlation identifier to identify an interaction of a selected software element with another software element;

transferring means for transferring the record of information pertaining to the transmissions to the administrative node; and

monitoring means at the administrative node responsive to the record of information pertaining to the transmissions for monitoring operations of network tasks.

39. A system for monitoring operations of a computer network interconnecting service providing nodes and an administrative node monitoring computer network tasks according to claim 38, wherein the intercepting means comprises first intercepting means coupled to the selected software element to intercept transmissions from the selected software element to other software elements in the same and different service providing nodes and second intercepting means coupled to the selected software element to intercept transmissions to the selected software element from the other software elements in the same and different service providing nodes.

40. A system for monitoring operations of a computer network interconnecting service providing nodes and an administrative node monitoring computer network tasks according to claim 39, wherein the administrative node includes selection means for selecting the software elements to which the first and second intercepting means are coupled to the software element.

41. A system for monitoring operations of a computer network interconnecting service providing nodes and an administrative node monitoring computer network tasks according to claim 40, wherein each selected software element includes storage means for storing the record of information pertaining to the transmissions from the first and second intercepting means coupled to the selected software element.

42. A system for monitoring operations of a computer network interconnecting service providing nodes and an administrative node monitoring computer network tasks according to claim 40, wherein the administrative node comprises combining means for combining the record of information pertaining to the transmissions from selected software elements to form a set of records of interactions of the software elements of the service providing nodes.

43. A system for monitoring operations of a computer network interconnecting service providing nodes and an administrative node monitoring computer network tasks according to claim 42, wherein each of the set of records of information pertaining to the transmissions of a selected software element includes a logical thread identifier identifying a network task of the selected software element, and wherein the combining means includes network task record forming means responsive to the logical thread identifier of the information pertaining records for forming a group of the information pertaining records of the network task.

44. A system for monitoring operations of a computer network interconnecting service providing nodes and an administrative node monitoring computer network tasks according to claim 39, wherein the first intercepting means is inserted at an outgoing side of the selected software element isolated from the operation of the selected software element and the second intercepting means is inserted at an incoming side of the selected software element isolated from the operation of the selected software element so that the operation of the selected software element is not affected by the inserted first and second intercepting means.

45. A system for monitoring operations of a computer network interconnecting service providing nodes and an administrative node monitoring computer network tasks according to claim 38, wherein the information pertaining to transmission recorded at the intercepting means includes data of at least one of response time and error states of an interaction between the selected software element and another software element and data of a time of occurrence of the interaction.

46. A system for monitoring operations of a computer network interconnecting service providing nodes and an administrative node monitoring computer network tasks according to claim 38, wherein the chain correlation identifier further comprises a selected software element comprising a statistics forming means responsive to the transmission pertaining information at the intercepting means coupled to the selected software element for forming data of at least one of interaction counts, failure counts, average response time of the selected software element, average response time of the selected software element when serving requests from another specific software element, percentage of calls to a specific software element that came from another specified software element and percentage of calls from a specified software element that are sent to another specified software element.

47. A system for monitoring operations of a computer network interconnecting service providing nodes and an administrative node monitoring computer network tasks according to claim 39, wherein, the chain correlation identifier further comprises a selected software element initiating a network task, the first intercepting means coupled to the selected software element generates a network task identifier for transmission to the software elements engaged in the network task.

48. A system for monitoring operations of a computer network interconnecting service providing nodes and an administrative node monitoring computer network tasks according to claim 47, wherein, the chain correlation identifier further comprises a selected software element sending a request transmission, the coupled first intercepting means provides an identifier identifying an operation of the selected software element and an identifier identifying an interaction between the selected software element and a software element receiving the request transmission and associates the selected software element operation identifier with the interaction identifier.

49. A system for monitoring operations of a computer network interconnecting service providing nodes and an administrative node monitoring computer network tasks according to claim 48, wherein, in the request transmission to a selected receiving software element, the second intercepting means of the selected receiving software element provides an identifier identifying the operation of the selected receiving software element, associates the selected receiving software element identifier with the interaction identifier identifying the interaction between the selected receiving software element and the selected software element sending the request transmission and records the interaction identifier.

50. A system for monitoring operations of a computer network interconnecting service providing nodes and an administrative node monitoring computer network tasks according to 48, wherein, in a reply transmission from the selected software element receiving the request, the second intercepting means coupled to the selected software element sending the reply transmission removes the association of the interaction identification with the selected software element operation identifier.

51. A system for monitoring operations of a computer network interconnecting service providing nodes and an administrative node monitoring computer network tasks according to claim 50, wherein, in a reply transmission to the selected software element receiving the reply, the first intercepting means coupled to the selected software element receiving the reply transmission, removes the association of the interaction identification with the selected software element operation identifier.

52. A system for monitoring operations of a computer network interconnecting service providing nodes and an administrative node monitoring computer network tasks according to claim 38, wherein the intercepting means of the selected software element includes detecting means for detecting an at least one of an error and a failure in the transmission pertaining information and further includes notifying means for notifying the administrative node of a network task being processed by the selected software element.

53. A system for monitoring operations of a computer network interconnecting service providing nodes and an administrative node monitoring computer network tasks according to claim 52, wherein the administrative node chain correlation identifier further comprises analyzing means, responsive to the notification, for requesting information pertaining records of the network task in which the at least one of the error and the failure is detected from the selected software elements.

54. A system for monitoring operations of a computer network interconnecting service providing nodes and an administrative node monitoring computer network tasks according to claim 38 wherein the information pertaining to transmission recorded at the intercepting means includes data of at least one of response time and error states of an interaction between the selected software element and another software element and data of a time of occurrence of the interaction.

55. A system for monitoring operations of a computer network interconnecting service providing nodes and an administrative node monitoring computer network tasks according to claim 38, wherein the chain correlation identifier further comprises statistics forming means responsive to the transmission pertaining information at the intercepting means coupled to the selected software element for forming data of at least one of interaction counts, failure counts, average response time of the selected software element, average response time of the selected software element when serving requests from another specific software element, percentage of calls to a specific software element that came from another specified software element and percentage of calls from a specified software element that are sent to another specified software element.

56. A computer network interconnecting a plurality of service providing nodes each including software elements for performing computer network tasks and an administrative node for monitoring the computer network tasks, at least one of the service providing nodes comprising:

a plurality of software elements in an application layer of the service providing node for coupling to other software elements in the same application layer and in the application layers of other service providing nodes of the network to process operations of the network;

an interceptor unit for each software element of the at least one service providing node, the interceptor unit being coupled to its software element in response to selection of the software element by the administrative node for intercepting transmissions in the application layer from the selected software element to other software elements in the same and different service providing nodes and for intercepting transmissions in the application layer to the selected software element from other software elements in the same and different service providing nodes wherein said interceptor unit further forms a record of information pertaining to the transmissions at the selected software element and each record of transmission pertaining information further comprises a chain correlation identifier to identify an operation of a selected software element in its performance of a network task and an interaction correlation identifier to identify an interaction of a selected software element with another software element; and

a transfer unit responsive to a transfer command from the administrative node to the selected software element for transferring the record pertaining to transmission pertaining information from the interceptor unit to the administrative node, which further comprises an interaction record forming unit that is responsive to both a chain correlation identifier and a interaction correlation identifier and generates a set of interaction records which include data from both records of transmission pertaining information and records of performance of a network task in order to enable the administrative node to monitor operations of network tasks.