Simulation of network traffic using non-deterministic user behavior models
First Claim
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1. A method for simulating behavior of a network user comprising:
- collecting data representing actual user behavior when interacting with a network;
generating a non-deterministic behavior model of a behavior of a network user, wherein generating a non-deterministic behavior model comprises specifying potential network communications that the network user could send and specifying a non-deterministic delay for each of the network communications, the non-deterministic delay comprising an average time that the user waits before or after generating the network communication and a distribution for how much the user is likely to deviate from the average time, wherein the average time and the distribution being determined based on the collected data; and
generating and outputting network communications to a network stem based on the generated non-deterministic behavior model to simulate the behavior of the network user and test the network system.
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Abstract
A network testing environment includes a control server and a testing cluster composed of one or more load generating devices. The load generating devices output network communications in a non-deterministic manner to model real-world network users and test a network system. The load generating devices operate in accordance with probabilistic state machines distributed by the control server. The probabilistic state machines model patterns of interaction between users and the network system.
48 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method for simulating behavior of a network user comprising:
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collecting data representing actual user behavior when interacting with a network; generating a non-deterministic behavior model of a behavior of a network user, wherein generating a non-deterministic behavior model comprises specifying potential network communications that the network user could send and specifying a non-deterministic delay for each of the network communications, the non-deterministic delay comprising an average time that the user waits before or after generating the network communication and a distribution for how much the user is likely to deviate from the average time, wherein the average time and the distribution being determined based on the collected data; and generating and outputting network communications to a network stem based on the generated non-deterministic behavior model to simulate the behavior of the network user and test the network system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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5. A method comprising:
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collecting data representing actual user behavior when interacting with a network; based on the collected data, generating a non-deterministic behavior model of a behavior of a network user as a state machine having a plurality of nodes interconnected by a set of directed edges, wherein each of the nodes represents an action that the user may perform on the network system, and wherein each of the directed edges represents a transition from a first node in the state machine to a second node in the state machine, and generating and outputting network communications based on the generated non-deterministic behavior model to simulate the behavior of the network user and test a network system, wherein each node in the plurality of nodes specifies an average amount of time before performing the action associated with the node. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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23. A system comprising:
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a network system; and a cluster of testing devices coupled to the network system via a network, wherein the cluster of testing devices outputs network communications based on a non-deterministic behavior model that simulates the behavior of a network user to test the network system, wherein the model specifies a delay for each of the network communications, wherein the delay comprises an average time that the user waits before performing the action and a probability distribution for how the user is likely to deviate from the average time, and wherein the average time and probability distribution is based on collected data representing actual user behavior. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
wherein the cluster of testing devices executes the simulation instructions to produce the network communications that simulate the behavior for the specified number of users based on the behavior model
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32. The system of claim 31, wherein the behavior model is compiled into a series of commands that the cluster of testing devices can process.
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33. The system of claim 23, wherein the cluster of testing devices simulates the behavior of multiple concurrent network users by generating network communications based on the behavior model.
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34. The system of claim 23, wherein the testing cluster of testing devices generates additional network communications based on a second model to simulate behavior of a network user while the cluster of testing devices is also generating the network communications based on a first behavior model.
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35. The system of claim 23, further comprising a control server that distributes behavior model to the cluster of testing devices.
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36. The system of claim 23, further comprising an analysis module that analyzes network communications from the network system to verify the functionality of the network system.
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37. The system of claim 36,
wherein the cluster of testing devices collects actual network communications from the network system in response to network communications generated based on the model; - and
wherein the analysis module compares the actual network communications from the network system with expected network communications from the network system.
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38. The system of claim 36,
wherein the cluster of testing devices collects end user perceived response times to network requests from the network system; - and
wherein the analysis module uses the end user perceived response times to analyze performance of the network system.
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27. A system comprising:
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a network system; and a cluster of testing devices coupled to the network system via a network, wherein the cluster of testing devices outputs network communications based on a non-deterministic behavior model that simulates the behavior of a network user to test the network system, wherein the model comprises a state machine having a plurality of nodes interconnected by a set of directed edges, wherein, each of the nodes in the plurality of nodes represents an action that the users may perform with respect to the network system given a particular state of the network system, wherein, each of the directed edges represents a transition from a first node in the state machine to a second node in the state machine, wherein each node in the plurality of nodes specifies an average amount of time to wait before performing the action associated with the node, and wherein the average time is based on data representing actual user behavior. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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39. A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions, wherein the instructions cause a programmable processor to:
generate a non-deterministic model of a behavior of a network user, wherein the non-deterministic behavior model specifies potential network communications that a network user could send and a non-deterministic delay for each of the network communications, the non-deterministic delay comprising an average time that the user waits before or after generating the network communication and a distribution for how much the user is likely to deviate from the average time, wherein the average time and distribution are determined from data representing actual user behavior; and
generate and output network communications to a network system based on the generated non-deterministic behavior model to simulate the behavior of the network user and test the network system.- View Dependent Claims (40)
Specification