Multi-platform optimization model

• US 7,363,370 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2006
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jason M. Donahue Trust
• Original Assignee: Metilinx
• Inventors: Collazo, Carlos M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Van H.
• Application Number:
  US11/442,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20070039009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/202, 719/319, 719/320
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/87 Monitoring of transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/022 Multivendor or multi-standard integration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0233 Object-oriented techniques, for representation of network management data, e.g. common object request broker architecture [CORBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/083 for increasing network speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 41/5012 determining service availability, e.g. which services are available at a certain point in time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/02 Capturing of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/14 using software, i.e. software packages network security related monitoring H04L63/1408
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A network optimization system that uses multiple devices having different combinations of hardware and software (i.e., platforms). The system assesses, controls and optimizes network performance , providing an efficient interface for installing, configuring and operating various features of the optimization system. Intelligence objects operate at the server node level to dynamically analyze system processes at each server node. One feature allows an object to generate a number representing a local utilization, a measure of one or more performance factors in the platform hosting the object. The local utilization value can be passed to another platform system hosting a second intelligence object, generating its own local utilization value or combining its local utilization value with the passed value to create a composite utilization value that reflects performance of both platforms. Where different values are from different platforms, the system resolves, adjusts, or normalizes the values to achieve a composite value.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for monitoring the performance of a digital networked system, wherein the system includes first and second platforms, the method comprising:

generating a first value indicating a characteristic of operation of the first platform;

transferring the first value to the second platform;

obtaining a second value indicating a characteristic of operation of the second platform; and

combining the first and second values into a composite value by adjusting one of the first or second values to account for a difference in operation characteristics between the first and second platforms wherein said difference in operation characteristics dynamically improves an object parameter value by a factor adjusted according to a block allocation parameter size through real time data collection in a Dynamic Aggregate System Process Optimization (DASPO) system to manage a heterogeneous network, wherein said DASPO allows an end user to define a set of node resource pools (NRP), wherein said NRP'"'"'s are organized into Functional Resource Pools (FRLP), said FRP'"'"'s linked to said NRP'"'"'s to define a user specified system process flow and to define a sub network, wherein said specified system process flow and sub network provides a work flow specified by an end user to accelerate the display of results in a graphical interface without executing across the entire network, wherein the work flow creates a plurality of DASPO sub networks such that linked FRP processes are provided in a distributed, hierarchical, peer-to-peer performance management network application, wherein said peer-to-peer performance management network application takes network latency into account to modify a composite node value (CNV) or local node value (LNV), wherein said CNV'"'"'s and LNV'"'"'s are coupled with a central console such that data is accumulated to provide an end user with best node information, wherein said best node information allows an end user to optimize network performance by performing one or more of the following steps in any order;

redirecting requests and connections within FRP'"'"'s;

using data generated by SLO nodes;

computing said node specific statistics; and

broadcasting said statistics results to a plurality of network specific applications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the difference in operation characteristics includes differences in the use of interrupts in processors in the first and second platforms.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said difference in operation characteristics improves an object parameter value by a factor adjusted according to a block allocation parameter size, said interrupts in processors and corresponding first interrupts results value are displayed to an end user, said first interrupts results value used to derive a second interrupts results value through the use of a plurality of mathematical algorithms, using said second interrupts results to automate optimization of an n-tiered system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the difference in operation includes differences in the use of threads in the first and second platforms.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said difference in operation characteristics improves an object parameter value by a factor adjusted according to a block allocation parameter size, said threads and corresponding first thread results value are displayed to an end user, said first thread results value used to derive a second thread results value through the use of a plurality of mathematical algorithms, using said second thread results to automate optimization of an n-tiered system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the difference in operation includes differences in the use of forked processes in the first and second platforms.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said difference in operation characteristics improves an object parameter value by a factor adjusted according to a block allocation parameter size, said forked processes and corresponding first forked processes results value are displayed to an end user, said first forked processes results value used to derive a second forked processes results value through the use of a plurality of mathematical algorithms, using said second forked processes results to automate optimization of an n-tiered system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the difference in operation includes differences in memory management in the first and second platforms.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second platforms use different types of operating systems.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second platforms use different types of central processing units.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second platforms support different types of operating environments.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said set of NRP'"'"'s allow an end user to customize a user interface to add said NRP'"'"'s by selecting the NRP'"'"'s individually from an existing domain or by providing specific Internet protocol (IP) addresses.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said NRP'"'"'s are associated with intelligence objects (IO), said IO'"'"'s are System Level Objects (SLO) or Transaction Level Objects (TLO), said SLO'"'"'s and TLO'"'"'s organized to support a common application such that nodes with like functionality are grouped in a sub system that provides a common service as defined by an end user.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said redirection workflow is a pre-packaged set of application code and objects, whose code cannot be altered.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said redirector includes objects for redirecting selected from a group of domains consisting of:

HTTP-requests, OLE-DB-connections, HTTP in Java, DB in C++, Linux, Solaris, and domains and platforms.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said redirector is a Windows-based application HTTP Redirector (HTTPRedir.EXE) capable of receiving HTTP-requests and redirecting them to a selected web server according to an end user predefined selection criteria.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said redirector consists of one or more of the following steps in any order:

selecting nodes for redirector installation;

specifying server general settings for each node;

specifying file-transfer and remote-execution protocol settings for each node;

executing redirector installation procedures; and

configuring the installed redirectors.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said redirector method is a remote installation process built upon a Windows based application (RSLOSetup.EXE) and a set of auxiliary files that are actually moved to a target node to perform the installation;

said remote

node executing said set of auxiliary files coupled with a corresponding protocol embedded on said remote node, implemented through the use of a mapped change configuration command for use once nodes have been selected as redirectors and the file transfer and execution is complete.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the remote installation process is a server redirector method built upon a Windows based application (RSLOSetup.EXE) and a set of auxiliary files that are actually moved to a target server to perform the installation;

said remote server executing said set of auxiliary files coupled with a corresponding protocol embedded on said remote server, implemented through the use of a mapped change configuration command for use once servers have been selected as redirectors and the file transfer and execution is complete.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said best node information allows an end user to optimize network performance further comprises performing one or more of the following steps in any order:

creating a redirector listening port, wherein said port listens for HTTP requests and by web browsers to connect;

creating an FRP comprising a list of web servers;

creating an SLO address field referring to an SLO-node installed in one of the computers belonging to said FRP; and

creating a server selection rule process directing how servers are selected for redirection.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said server selection process further comprises a DCOM server in a Windows-based executable process, said process called an “

OLE-DB-Connection Redirector”

, said process is an object able to keep track of load statistics of a set of end user defined database servers and to supply a user predefined connection string corresponding to the selected database server when requested, said redirector object must be active to monitor the database servers.

22. The redirector method of claim 21, wherein said redirector allows an end user to perform the following steps:

creating a remote instance of said redirector;

requesting a valid connection string therefrom; and

using said connection string to provide a guarantee that the best available database server is selected.

23. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising an automated method to set-up, analyze and optimize a heterogeneous, multi-domain computer network utilizing a Dynamic Aggregate System Process Optimization (“

DASPO”

) system wherein said DASPO selects a server from a Functional Resource Pool utilizing a plurality of user defined rule processes.