Method and system for detecting gaps in a data stream

• US 7,627,688 B1
• Filed: 07/09/2003
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ip Ot Sub Ulc
• Original Assignee: Vignette Corporation (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Artz, John C. Jr., Pathak, Heeren
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin; Kenny S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hussain; Tauqir
• Application Number:
  US10/616,136
• Time in Patent Office: 2,337 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7, 705/10, 705/14, 705/26, 705/35, 705/500, 709/206, 709/219, 709/224, 709/229, 709/223, 709/245, 370/503, 370/504, 370/516, 370/230, 370/230.1, 370/231, 370/235
• US Class Current: 709/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/026 using flow identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0835 One way packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Systems and methods are described which allow the detection of gaps in a set of data. These systems and methods may include defining streams of data from a network topology, associating incoming data with one or more of these streams, and processing these streams. A gap may be detected by comparing the times of events in the stream. If a gap is detected remedial action may be taken, and processing of the streams temporarily halted. Processing of the streams may continue when data for a certain stream is received, or after the lapse of a certain period of time.

Claims

1. A method for detecting gaps in data, comprising:

defining at a computer at least a first stream associated with a particular user'"'"'s activities and a second stream associated with that user'"'"'s activities from a network topology for presenting a logical website, wherein each of the streams is a logical data source associated with one or more servers, wherein each server has hosts, data locations, or a combination thereof associated with the server, and wherein each server is responsible for running a different portion of the logical website, wherein the computer comprises a processor and a computer readable medium storing a computer program executable to detect gaps in data;

receiving incoming data from one or more sources at the computer and associating the incoming data with one of the streams based on a source of the incoming data, wherein the source is one of the one or more servers or one of the hosts or data locations associated therewith and the incoming data comprises data regarding previous activities at one of the one or more servers, hosts, or data locations;

calculating a data loss for each stream, wherein the data loss is calculated between a next event (nextEvent.time) and a last event (lastTime) in the stream, wherein the computer calculates the data loss;

determining whether each stream has a gap based upon the calculated data loss and a user defined threshold (GAP_TIME), wherein a gap is detected if (nextEvent.time>

=(lastTime+GAP_TIME)), wherein the computer determines whether each stream has a gap.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising stopping the processing of every stream if the first or second stream'"'"'s calculated data loss is greater than a first user defined threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the processing resumes according to a second user defined threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data loss is a time difference between the occurrence of the next event and the last event.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising stopping the processing of every stream if the first or second stream'"'"'s calculated time difference is greater than a first time period.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising resuming processing of the first or second stream upon reception of more data associated with the first or second stream.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising resuming the processing of each stream in which the calculated time difference is not greater than the first time period.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising coupling the computer to a system for running a logical web site, wherein the system for running the logical web site comprises the one or more servers and wherein the network topology corresponds to the system for running the logical web site.

8. A tangible computer readable medium containing computer program instructions translatable for:

defining at least a first stream associated with a particular user'"'"'s activities and a second stream associated with that user'"'"'s activities from a network topology for presenting a logical website, wherein each of the streams is a logical data source associated with one or more servers, wherein each server has hosts, data locations, or a combination thereof associated with the server, and wherein each server is responsible for running a different portion of the logical website;

associating incoming data with one of the streams based on a source of the incoming data, wherein the source is one of the one or more servers or one of the hosts or data locations associated therewith and the incoming data comprises data regarding previous activities at one of the one or more servers, hosts, or data locations;

calculating a data loss for each stream, wherein the data loss is calculated between a next event (nextEvent.time) and a last event (lastTime) in the stream;

determining whether each stream has a gap based upon the calculated data loss and

a user defined threshold (GAP_TIME), wherein a gap is detected if (nextEvent.time>

=(lastTime+GAP_TIMED)).

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions are further translatable for stopping the processing of every stream if the first or second stream'"'"'s calculated data loss is greater than a first user defined threshold.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions are further translatable for resuming processing according to a second user defined threshold.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the data loss is a time difference between the occurrence of the next event and the last event.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions are further translatable for stopping the processing of every stream if the first or second stream'"'"'s calculated time difference is greater than a first time period.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further translatable for resuming processing of the first or second stream upon reception of more data associated with the first or second stream.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further translatable for resuming the processing of each stream in which the calculated time difference is not greater than the first time period.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further translatable for resuming processing after a second period of time.

16. A system for extracting a video signal from compressed video data, compromising:

a computer configured with definitions of at least a first stream associated with a particular user'"'"'s activities and a second stream associated with that user'"'"'s activities from a network topology for presenting a logical website, wherein each of the streams is a logical data source associated with one or more servers, wherein each server has hosts, data locations, or a combination thereof associated with the server, and wherein each server is responsible for running a different portion of the logical website, the computer comprising a processor and a tangible storage medium storing instructions executable by the processor to implement a method at the computer comprising;

receiving incoming data at the computer;

associating incoming data received over the network with one of the streams based on a source of the incoming data, wherein the source is one of the one or more servers or one of the hosts or data locations associated therewith and the incoming data comprises data regarding previous activities at one of the one or more servers, hosts, or data locations, wherein the associating is performed at the computer;

calculating a data loss for each stream, wherein the data loss is calculated between a next event (nextEvent.time) and a last event (lastTime) in the stream, wherein the calculating is performed at the computer;

determining whether each stream has a gap based upon the calculated data loss and

a user defined threshold (GAP₁₃TIME), wherein a gap is detected if (nextEvent.time>

=(lastTime+GAP₁₃TIME)), wherein the determining is performed at the computer.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising at least one server coupled to the computer via a network, wherein the server communicates at least a portion of the incoming data to the computer.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising stopping the processing of every stream if the first or second stream'"'"'s calculated data loss is greater than a first user defined threshold.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processing resumes according to a second user defined threshold.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the data loss is a time difference between the occurrence of the next event and the last event.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising stopping the processing of every stream if the first or second stream'"'"'s calculated time difference is greater than a first time period.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising resuming processing of the first or second stream upon reception of more data associated with the first or second stream.

23. The system of claim 20, further comprising resuming the processing of each stream in which the calculated time difference is not greater than the first time period.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the processing resumes after a second period of time.

26. A system for gap detection comprising:

a computer coupled to the one or more servers via a network, the computer configured with definitions of at least a first stream associated with a particular user'"'"'s activities and a second stream associated with that user'"'"'s activities from a network topology for presenting a logical website, wherein each of the streams is a logical data source associated with one or more servers that are part of the network topology, wherein each server has hosts, data locations, or a combination thereof associated with the server, and wherein each server is responsible for running a different portion of the logical website and wherein the computer is configured to;

receive incoming data from the one or more servers;

associate the incoming data with one of the streams based on a source of the incoming data, wherein the source is one of the one or more servers or one of the hosts or data locations associated therewith and the incoming data comprises data regarding previous activities at one of the one or more servers, hosts, or data locations;

calculate a data loss for each stream, wherein the data loss is calculated between a next event (nextEvent.time) and a last event (lastTime) in the stream;

determine whether each stream has a gap based upon the calculated data loss and a user defined threshold (GAP_TIME), wherein a gap is detected if (nextEvent.time>

=(lastTime+GAP_TIME)).

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising the one or more servers coupled to the computer via a network, wherein the one or more servers are part of the system for presenting the logical website.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the computer is further configured to stop the processing of every stream if the first or second stream'"'"'s calculated data loss is greater than a first user defined threshold.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the computer is further configured to resume the processing according to a second user defined threshold.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the data loss is a time difference between the occurrence of the next event and the last event.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the computer is further configured to stop the processing of every stream if the first or second stream'"'"'s calculated time difference is greater than a first time period.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the computer is further configured to resume processing of the first or second stream upon reception of more data associated with the first or second stream.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the computer is further configured to stop the processing of each stream in which the calculated time difference is not greater than the first time period.