Method and system for transaction pipeline decomposition

• US 7,877,435 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2002
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Allan, Ronald C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn; Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, CHIRAG R
• Application Number:
  US10/177,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20030236877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,141 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/201, 709/223, 718/102, 718/1, 718/106
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method, system, apparatus, and computer program product are presented for decomposing a transaction pipeline by capturing metric data about the completion of transactions within the transaction pipeline, such as an elapsed time that is required to complete a transaction at each stage of the transaction pipeline. A set of agents are among a set of servers that respond to transaction requests for resources. Two or more servers can be substantially logically grouped into a transaction pipeline in which an upstream server precedes a downstream server if the upstream server initiates a subsequent transaction to the downstream server so as to complete a previous transaction at the upstream server. Each agent is associated with a server in the transaction pipeline. An agent gathers metric data about transactions that are initiated by the agent, which are directed to a downstream server of the server with which each agent is associated.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a distributed data processing system, the method comprising:

providing a set of agents throughout the distributed data processing system;

associating each agent in the set of agents with a server in a set of servers in the distributed data processing system, wherein each server in the set of servers completes a requested transaction after requesting a subsequent transaction to a subsequent server in the set of servers; and

configuring each agent in the set of agents to initiate a transaction and to obtain completion information about the transaction, wherein the transaction is directed to the subsequent server to which the server with which the agent is associated requests a subsequent transaction.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the completion information comprises data related to the elapsed time that is required to complete the transaction at the subsequent server.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the completion information comprises data related to the transaction concerning resource availability, resource consumption, or time delay at the subsequent server.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a primary agent in the distributed data processing system, wherein the primary agent is an agent that is not associated with a server in the set of servers; and

configuring the primary agent to initiate transactions and to obtain completion information about the transactions, wherein the transactions are directed to at least one server in the set of servers.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

establishing a logical order for each server in the set of servers; and

initiating transactions by the primary agent to a logically first server in an ordered set of servers.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

initiating a first transaction from a first agent in the set of agents to a first server in the set of servers; and

obtaining completion information about the first transaction at the first agent.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

initiating a second transaction to the first server from a second agent in the set of agents; and

obtaining, at the second agent, completion information about the second transaction.

8. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

assigning a common transaction pipeline identifier to the set of agents; and

distributing the common transaction pipeline identifier in configuration information to each agent in the set of agents, wherein the common transaction pipeline identifier identifies a transaction pipeline that the set of servers belong to, wherein receipt of a single transaction request invokes a set of transactions that are processed by the set of servers that belong to the transaction pipeline, and wherein the completion information is with respect to a given at least one of the set of transactions.

9. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

executing a script at an agent to initiate one or more transactions to one or more servers, wherein the script is selected based upon a transaction pipeline identifier associated with the script.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein configuration information for an agent in the set of agents comprises temporal information for indicating when the agent should initiate a transaction to the subsequent server.

11. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

collecting, at a specified server, completion information directly from each agent in the set of agents.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

initiating collection of the completion information by the primary agent.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

correlating the completion information from the plurality of agents, wherein the completion information that is correlated comprises transaction completion information associated with completion of each individual transaction directed to the subsequent server.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

statistically analyzing the completion information from the plurality of agents, wherein the completion information that is statistically analyzed comprises transaction completion information associated with completion of each individual transaction directed to the subsequent server.

15. A method for monitoring a distributed data processing system, the method comprising:

providing a set of agents throughout the distributed data processing system, wherein the distributed data processing system supports a set of servers, wherein each server in the set of servers responds to a transaction request for a resource, wherein two or more servers are substantially logically grouped into a transaction pipeline in which an upstream server precedes a downstream server if the upstream server initiates a subsequent transaction to the downstream server so as to complete a previous transaction at the upstream server;

associating each agent in the set of agents with a server in the set of servers;

gathering metric data about transactions that are initiated by each agent in the set of agents, wherein each agent directs the transactions to a downstream server of the server with which each agent is associated; and

associating each agent in the set of agents with at least one server in the transaction pipeline, wherein at least one agent in the set of agents is also associated with another transaction pipeline.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein receipt of a single transaction request invokes a set of transactions that are processed by the two or more servers of the transaction pipeline, and wherein the metric data is with respect to a given at least one of the set of transactions.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the metric data relates to an elapsed time that is required to complete a transaction at the downstream server.

18. A method for monitoring a distributed data processing system, the method comprising:

providing a set of agents throughout the distributed data processing system;

associating each agent in the set of agents with a server in a set of servers in the distributed data processing system;

gathering metric data about transactions that are initiated by each agent in the set of agents, wherein each agent directs transactions to a downstream server of the server with which each agent is associated, and wherein a downstream agent associated with the downstream server directs downstream transactions to a subsequent downstream server that is downstream from the downstream server responsive to receiving the transactions, and wherein the metric data is associated with responses from the downstream server and the subsequent downstream server; and

analyzing the metric data that is gathered from the set of agents.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

determining response characteristics of each of the set of servers from the metric data.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein receipt of a single transaction request invokes a set of transactions that are processed by the two or more servers of the transaction pipeline, and wherein the metric data is with respect to a given at least one of the set of transactions.

21. A system for monitoring a distributed data processing system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor for storing instructions, the instructions when executed by the processor performing a method comprising;

providing a set of agents throughout the distributed data processing system;

associating each agent in the set of agent'"'"'s with a server in a set of servers in the distributed data processing system, wherein each server in the set of servers completes a requested transaction after requesting a subsequent transaction to a subsequent server in the set of servers; and

configuring each agent in the set of agents to initiate a transaction and to obtain completion information about the transaction, wherein the transaction is directed to the subsequent server to which the server with which the agent is associated requests a subsequent transaction.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the completion information comprises data related to the elapsed time that is required to complete the transaction at the subsequent server.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the completion information comprises data related to the transaction concerning resource availability, resource consumption, or time delay at the subsequent server.

24. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

providing a primary agent in the distributed data processing system, wherein the primary agent is an agent that is not associated with a server in the set of servers; and

configuring the primary agent to initiate transactions and to obtain completion information about the transactions, wherein the transactions are directed to at least one server in the set of servers.

25. The system of claim 24 further comprising:

establishing a logical order for each server in the set of servers; and

initiating transactions by the primary agent to a logically first server in an ordered set of servers.

26. The system of claim 24 further comprising:

initiating a first transaction from a first agent in the set of agents to a first server in the set of servers; and

obtaining completion information about the first transaction at the first agent.

27. The system of claim 26 further comprising:

initiating a second transaction to the first server from a second agent in the set of agents; and

obtaining, at the second agent, completion information about the second transaction.

28. The system of claim 24 further comprising:

assigning a common transaction pipeline identifier to the set of agents; and

distributing the common transaction pipeline identifier in configuration information to each agent in the set of agents, wherein the common transaction pipeline identifier identifies a transaction pipeline that the set of servers belong to, wherein receipt of a single transaction request invokes a set of transactions that are processed by the set of servers that belong to the transaction pipeline, and wherein the completion information is with respect to a given at least one of the set of transactions.

29. The system of claim 24 further comprising:

executing a script at an agent to initiate one or more transactions to one or more servers, wherein the script is selected based upon a transaction pipeline identifier associated with the script.

30. The system of claim 24 wherein configuration information for an agent in the set of agents comprises temporal information for indicating when the agent should initiate a transaction to the subsequent server.

31. The system of claim 24 further comprising:

collecting, at a specified server, completion information directly from each agent in the set of agents.

32. The system of claim 31 further comprising:

initiating collection of the completion information by the primary agent.

33. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

correlating the completion information from the plurality of agents, wherein the completion information that is correlated comprises transaction completion information associated with completion of each individual transaction directed to the subsequent server.

34. The system of claim 21 further comprising:

statistically analyzing completion information from the plurality of agents, wherein the completion information that is statistically analyzed comprises transaction completion information associated with completion of each individual transaction directed to the subsequent server.

35. A system for monitoring a distributed data processing system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor for storing instructions, the instructions when executed by the processor performing a method comprising;

providing a set of agents throughout the distributed data processing system, wherein the distributed data processing system supports a set of servers, wherein each server in the set of servers responds to a transaction request for a resource, wherein two or more servers are substantially logically grouped into a transaction pipeline in which an upstream server precedes a downstream server if the upstream server initiates a subsequent transaction to the downstream server so as to complete a previous transaction at the upstream server;

associating each agent in the set of agents with a server in the set of servers;

gathering metric data about transactions that are initiated by each agent in the set of agents, wherein each agent directs the transactions to a downstream server of the server with which each agent is associated; and

associating each agent in the set of agents with at least one server in the transaction pipeline, wherein at least one agent in the set of agents is also associated with another transaction pipeline.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein receipt of a single transaction request invokes a set of transactions that are processed by the two or more servers of the transaction pipeline, and wherein the metric data is with respect to a given at least one of the set of transactions.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the metric data relates to an elapsed time that is required to complete a transaction at the downstream server.

38. A system for monitoring a distributed data processing system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor for storing instructions, the instructions when executed by the processor performing a method comprising;

providing a set of agents throughout the distributed data processing system;

associating each agent in the set of agents with a server in a set of servers in the distributed data processing system;

gathering metric data about transactions that are initiated by each agent in the set of agents, wherein each agent directs transactions to a downstream server of the server with which each agent is associated, and wherein a downstream agent associated with the downstream server directs downstream transactions to a subsequent downstream server that is downstream from the downstream server responsive to receiving the transactions, and wherein the metric data is associated with responses from the downstream server and the subsequent downstream server; and

analyzing the metric data that is gathered from the set of agents.

39. The system of claim 38 further comprising:

determining response characteristics of each of the set of servers from the metric data.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein receipt of a single transaction request invokes a set of transactions that are processed by the two or more servers of the transaction pipeline, and wherein the metric data is with respect to a given at least one of the set of transactions.

41. A computer program product stored in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the computer program product comprising computer executable instructions that when executed enable a distributed data processing system to monitor the distributed data processing system, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for providing a set of agents throughout the distributed data processing system;

instructions for associating each agent in the set of agents with a server in a set of servers in the distributed data processing system, wherein each server in the set of servers completes a requested transaction after requesting a subsequent transaction to a subsequent server in the set of servers; and

instructions for configuring each agent in the set of agents to initiate a transaction and to obtain completion information about the transaction, wherein the transaction is directed to the subsequent server to which the server with which the agent is associated requests a subsequent transaction.

42. The computer program product of claim 41 wherein the completion information comprises data related to the elapsed time that is required to complete the transaction at the subsequent server.

43. The computer program product of claim 41 wherein the completion information comprises data related to the transaction concerning resource availability, resource consumption, or time delay at the subsequent server.

44. The computer program product of claim 41 further comprising:

instructions for providing a primary agent in the distributed data processing system, wherein the primary agent is an agent that is not associated with a server in the set of servers; and

instructions for configuring the primary agent to initiate transactions and to obtain completion information about the transactions, wherein the transactions are directed to at least one server in the set of servers.

45. The computer program product of claim 44 further comprising:

instructions for establishing a logical order for each server in the set of servers; and

instructions for initiating transactions by the primary agent to a logically first server in an ordered set of servers.

46. The computer program product of claim 44 further comprising:

instructions for initiating a first transaction from a first agent in the set of agents to a first server in the set of servers; and

instructions for obtaining completion information about the first transaction at the first agent.

47. The computer program product of claim 46 further comprising:

instructions for initiating a second transaction to the first server from a second agent in the set of agents; and

instructions for obtaining, at the second agent, completion information about the second transaction.

48. The computer program product of claim 44 further comprising:

instructions for assigning a common transaction pipeline identifier to the set of agents; and

instructions for distributing the common transaction pipeline identifier in configuration information to each agent in the set of agents, wherein the common transaction pipeline identifier identifies a transaction pipeline that the set of servers belong to, wherein receipt of a single transaction request invokes a set of transactions that are processed by the set of servers that belong to the transaction pipeline, and wherein the completion information is with respect to a given at least one of the set of transactions.

49. The computer program product of claim 44 further comprising:

instructions for executing a script at an agent to initiate one or more transactions to one or more servers, wherein the script is selected based upon a transaction pipeline identifier associated with the script.

50. The computer program product of claim 44 wherein configuration information for an agent in the set of agents comprises temporal information for indicating when the agent should initiate a transaction to the subsequent server.

51. The computer program product of claim 44 further comprising:

instructions for collecting, at a specified server, completion information directly from each agent in the set of agents.

52. The computer program product of claim 51 further comprising:

instructions for initiating collection of the completion information by the primary agent.

53. The computer program product of claim 41 further comprising:

instructions for correlating completion information from the plurality of agents, wherein the completion information that is correlated comprises transaction completion information associated with completion of each individual transaction directed to the subsequent server.

54. The computer program product of claim 41 further comprising:

instructions for statistically analyzing the completion information from the plurality of agents, wherein the completion information that is statistically analyzed comprises transaction completion information associated with completion of each individual transaction directed to the subsequent server.

55. A computer program product stored in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the computer program product comprising computer executable instructions that when executed enable a distributed data processing system to monitor the distributed data processing system, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for providing a set of agents throughout the distributed data processing system, wherein the distributed data processing system supports a set of servers, wherein each server in the set of servers responds to a transaction request for a resource, wherein two or more servers are substantially logically grouped into a transaction pipeline in which an upstream server precedes a downstream server if the upstream server initiates a subsequent transaction to the downstream server so as to complete a previous transaction at the upstream server;

instructions for associating each agent in the set of agents with a server in the set of servers;

instructions for gathering metric data about transactions that are initiated by each agent in the set of agents, wherein each agent directs the transactions to a downstream server of the server with which each agent is associated; and

instructions for associating each agent in the set of agents with at least one server in the transaction pipeline, wherein at least one agent in the set of agents is also associated with another transaction pipeline.

56. The computer program product of claim 55, wherein receipt of a single transaction request invokes a set of transactions that are processed by the two or more servers of the transaction pipeline, and wherein the metric data is with respect to a given at least one of the set of transactions.

57. The computer program product of claim 56 wherein the metric data relates to an elapsed time that is required to complete a transaction at the downstream server.

58. A computer program product stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer executable instructions that when executed enable a distributed data processing system to monitor the distributed data processing system, the computer program product comprising:

instructions for providing a set of agents throughout the distributed data processing system;

instructions for associating each agent in the set of agents with a server in a set of servers in the distributed data processing system;

instructions for gathering metric data about transactions that are initiated by each agent in the set of agents, wherein each agent directs transactions to a downstream server of the server with which each agent is associated, and wherein a downstream agent associated with the downstream server directs downstream transactions to a subsequent downstream server that is downstream from the downstream server responsive to receiving the transactions, and wherein the metric data is associated with responses from the downstream server and the subsequent downstream server; and

instructions for analyzing the metric data that is gathered from the set of agents.

59. The computer program product of claim 58 further comprising:

instructions for determining response characteristics of each of the set of servers from the metric data.

60. The computer program product of claim 58, wherein receipt of a single transaction request invokes a set of transactions that are processed by the two or more servers of the transaction pipeline, and wherein the metric data is with respect to a given at least one of the set of transaction.