Method, system, and data structure for monitoring transaction performance in a managed computer network environment

• US 7,568,023 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2002
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micro Focus LLC (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Green, John, Smead, Steven, Enck, Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): Dollinger; Tonia L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shin; Kyung H
• Application Number:
  US10/327,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20040122942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,408 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/022 by sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/028 by filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes

Abstract

A method, system, and data structure are disclosed for monitoring transaction performance in a managed computer network environment having a requesting component configured to request a transaction of a servicing component. In accordance with exemplary embodiments the transaction is classified into a transaction type. A correlator is generated for the transaction including information identifying a parent transaction type and a root transaction type of the transaction. An events associated with a completion of the transaction is recorded. Performance statistics are aggregated on the transaction completion event in the context of the information included in the correlator.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring transaction performance in a managed computer network environment having a requesting component configured to request a transaction of a servicing component, the method comprising:

classifying the transaction into a transaction type;

generating, at a node including the requesting component, a correlator for the transaction including information identifying a parent transaction type and a root transaction type of the transaction to send the correlator from the node including the requesting component to a node including the servicing component prior to starting the transaction;

recording an event associated with a completion of the transaction; and

receiving the correlator for aggregating performance measurements on the transaction completion event based on the information identifying a parent transaction type and a root transaction type of the transaction included in the correlator;

wherein the correlator is generated at a node including the servicing component; and

wherein the transaction is configured to probe an availability of a service of the servicing component, and a consumer identifier identifying a consumer of the transaction as a probe is included in the correlator.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the recording and aggregating occur at the node including the servicing component.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising:

sampling the aggregated performance measurements on a periodic basis;

sending the sampled aggregated performance measurements from the node including the servicing component to a measurement server in the network; and

storing the sampled aggregated performance measurements in a reporting database on the measurement server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the correlator includes:

a parent transaction identifier;

a root transaction identifier;

a consumer identifier identifying a consumer of the transaction; and

a requesting component identifier.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the performance measurements are aggregated across combinations of transaction keys, including:

the root transaction type;

the parent transaction type;

the transaction type;

the consumer identifier;

the requesting component identifier; and

a servicing component identifier.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the aggregating comprises:

combining the performance measurements-of related transaction types;

combining the performance measurements of related consumers; and

combining the performance measurements of related requesting and servicing components.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording and aggregating occur at the node including the servicing component.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

sending the correlator from the node including the servicing component to a node including the requesting component.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the requesting component is included in an unmanaged node in the network, the method comprising:

generating an identifier for the requesting component at the node including the servicing component.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the parent transaction type and the root transaction type of the correlator can track a transaction involving multiple nodes.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance measurements are aggregated across any combination of the transactional information, and when the requesting component is included on a same node as the servicing component, the performance measurements are aggregated based on at least an identification of the servicing component.

12. A system for monitoring transaction performance in a managed computer network environment having a requesting component configured to request a transaction of a servicing component, the system comprising:

a processor, including;

logic configured to classify the transaction into a transaction type;

logic configured to generate a correlator for the transaction is included in a node including the requesting component, the correlator generator logic including information identifying a parent transaction type and a root transaction type of the transaction to send the correlator from the node including the requesting component to a node including the servicing component prior to starting the transaction;

logic configured to record an event associated with a completion of the transaction; and

logic configured to receive the correlator and aggregate performance measurements on the transaction completion event based on the information identifying a parent transaction type and a root transaction type of the transaction included in the correlator; and

memory configured to store the aggregated performance measurements;

wherein the logic configured to generate a correlator is included in a node including the servicing component; and

wherein the transaction is configured to probe an availability of a service of the servicing component, and a consumer identifier identifying a consumer of the transaction as a probe is included in the correlator.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the logic configured to record and aggregate are included in the node including the servicing component.

14. The system of claim 13, comprising:

logic configured to sample the aggregated performance measurements on a periodic basis; and

communication configured to send the sampled aggregated performance measurements from the node including the servicing component to a measurement server in the network;

wherein the memory includes a reporting database on the measurement server for storing the sampled aggregating performance measurements.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the correlator includes:

a parent transaction identifier;

a root transaction identifier;

a consumer identifier identifying a consumer of the transaction; and

a requesting component identifier.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the performance measurements are aggregated across combinations of transaction keys, including:

the root transaction type;

the parent transaction type;

the transaction type;

the consumer identifier;

the requesting component identifier; and

a servicing component identifier.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the logic configured to aggregate comprises:

logic configured to combine the performance of related transaction types;

logic configured to combine the performance measurements of related consumers; and

logic configured to combine the performance measurements of related requesting and servicing components.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the logic configured to record and aggregate are included in the node including the servicing component.

19. The system of claim 12, comprising:

communication means configured to send the correlator from the node including the servicing component to a node including the requesting component;

communication means configured to send the correlator and the recorded transaction completion event from the node including the requesting component to a measurement server in the network, wherein the logic configured to aggregate is included in the measurement server; and

logic configured to sample the aggregated performance measurements on a periodic basis;

wherein the memory includes a reporting database on the measurement server for storing the sampled aggregating performance measurements.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the node including the requesting component is an unmanaged node in the network, the system comprising:

logic configured to generate an identifier for the requesting component at the node including the servicing component.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the parent transaction type and the root transaction type of the correlator can track a transaction involving multiple nodes.

22. A computer-readable medium containing a computer program for monitoring transaction performance in a managed computer network environment having a requesting component configured to request a transaction of a servicing component, wherein the computer program performs the method of:

classifying the transaction into a transaction type;

generating, at a node including the requesting component, a correlator for the transaction including information identifying a parent transaction type and a root transaction type of the transaction to send the correlator from the node including the requesting component to a node including the servicing component prior to starting the transaction;

recording an event associated with a completion of the transaction; and

receiving the correlator for aggregating performance measurements on the transaction completion event based on the information identifying a parent transaction type and a root transaction type of the transaction included in the correlator;

wherein the correlator is generated at a node including the servicing component; and

wherein the transaction is configured to probe an availability of a service of the servicing component, and a consumer identifier identifying a consumer of the transaction as a probe is included in the correlator.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the recording and aggregating occur at the node including the servicing component.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the method comprises:

sampling the aggregated performance measurements-on a periodic basis;

sending the sampled aggregated performance measurements-from the node including the servicing component to a measurement server in the network; and

storing the sampled aggregated performance measurements-in a reporting database on the measurement server.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the correlator includes:

a parent transaction identifier;

a root transaction identifier;

a consumer identifier identifying a consumer of the transaction; and

a requesting component identifier.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the performance measurements-are aggregated across combinations of transaction keys, including:

the root transaction type;

the parent transaction type;

the transaction type;

the consumer identifier;

the requesting component identifier; and

a servicing component identifier.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the aggregating comprises:

combining the performance measurements of related transaction types;

combining the performance measurements of related consumers; and

combining the performance measurements of related requesting and servicing components.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the recording and aggregating occur at the node including the servicing component.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the method comprises:

sending the correlator from the node including the servicing component to a node including the requesting component;

sending the correlator and the recorded transaction completion event from the node including the requesting component to a measurement server in the network, wherein the aggregating occurs at the measurement server; and

sampling the aggregated performance measurements on a periodic basis.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the requesting component is included in an unmanaged node in the network, and wherein the method comprises:

generating an identifier for the requesting component at the node including the servicing component.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the parent transaction type and the root transaction type of the correlator can track a transaction involving multiple nodes.