Systems and methods for website monitoring and load testing via simulation

• US 7,770,068 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2005
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vercara LLC
• Original Assignee: Neustar Incorporated
• Inventors: Drees, Timothy Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman; Scott T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ko; Chae
• Application Number:
  US11/142,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20060276997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,889 Days
• Field of Search: 714/38, 714/31, 715/704, 717/124
• US Class Current: 714/38.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3414 Workload generation, e.g. scripts, playback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3433 for load management allocation of a server based on load conditions G06F9/505; load rebalancing G06F9/5083; redistributing the load in a network by a load balancer H04L67/1029
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems

Abstract

Described herein are systems and methods for website or web based application monitoring and load testing. A server is configured to execute monitoring or load testing agents on various agent devices that are placed in various locations across a network. The agents receive a playback script from the server and execute the script to simulate a user session that is part of a website monitoring or load testing project. Execution of the playback script may cause the agent to send commands to a generic browser application that in turn carries out those commands. Alternatively, or in combination, execution of the script may cause the agent to simulate operating system commands such as mouse, keyboard, and voice commands. The results of the script execution by the agent are stored and sent back to the server for potential real time alerting notification and compilation into a related report. Methods for recording the playback scripts are also provided.

Claims

1. A system for interactive testing of a target website from a plurality of agent devices via a communication network using simulated operating system and web browser commands, comprising:

a plurality of agent devices communicatively coupled with a target website via a communication network;

a controller server communicatively coupled with the plurality of agent devices via a communication network, the controller server configured to download a playback engine module to the plurality of agent devices and compile a testing result from testing information received from said plurality of agent devices;

a plurality of playback engine modules, each playback engine module deployed on an agent device, wherein each playback engine module is configured to be executed by the agent device and carry out a sequence of instructions received from the server controller, wherein a sequence of instructions causes an agent device to interact with the target website, each playback engine module further configured to record testing information in response to the execution of said sequence of instructions and provide said testing information to said controller server.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sequence of instructions comprises operating system commands and web browser commands.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a playback engine module comprises a browser module and an operating system module, wherein the browser module is configured to translate instructions from the server controller into web browser commands and the operating system module is configured to translate instructions from the server controller into operating system commands.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the operating system commands comprise text entry.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the operating system commands comprise keyboard input.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the operating system commands comprise mouse input.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the operating system commands comprise voice input.

8. A computer implemented method for interactive testing of a website through simulated operating system and web browser commands, comprising:

identifying a plurality of agent devices accessible via a communication network;

downloading a playback engine module to at least a portion of said identified plurality of agent devices;

executing the playback engine module on each of said agent devices;

providing each playback engine module with a series of commands that comprise an interactive testing session;

instructing each playback engine module to execute said series of commands on its respective agent device, wherein execution of said series of commands causes an agent device to interact with the target website via the communication network to generate testing information;

receiving the testing information from each of said playback engine modules; and

compiling said testing information into testing results.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein compiling said testing information comprises comparing textual results included in said testing information to determine the success of a command in the series of commands.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising obtaining error information from a playback engine module when a command in said series of commands fails.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said series of commands comprise operating system commands and web browser commands.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the operating system commands and web browser commands comprise a simulation of a user session for interactive testing of a website.

17. The method of claim 8, further comprising translating one or more of said series of commands prior to execution of said translated command.

13. A computer implemented method for interactive testing of a target website through simulated operating system and web browser commands, comprising:

identifying a plurality of agent devices, wherein each identified agent device is communicatively coupled with a target website via a communication network and wherein each identified agent device is geographically remote from the target website;

downloading a playback engine module to said identified plurality of agent devices;

providing each identified agent device with a series of commands that comprise an interactive testing session;

coordinating the start time for each interactive testing session for each of the plurality of agent devices;

instructing each identified agent device to execute its respective interactive testing session in cooperation with its respective start time to generate testing information;

receiving testing information from at least a portion of the plurality of agent devices in response to their respective interactive testing sessions; and

compiling said testing information into testing results.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said providing step comprises sequentially sending individual commands to the agent device to control the timing of commands sent to the target website.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said instructing step comprises controlling the timing of commands sent by a plurality of agents to the target website.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing each identified agent device with a playback engine module configured to execute said series of commands.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising translating one or more of said series of commands prior to execution of said translated command as part of the interactive testing session.