Method and apparatus of end-user response time determination for both TCP and non-TCP protocols

• US 7,958,190 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetScout Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Roberts, Doug, Prescott, Dan, Kosbab, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean; Frantz B
• Application Number:
  US12/241,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20090228585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/227, 709/232, 709/234, 709/230, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5061 characterised by the interaction between service providers and their network customers, e.g. customer relationship management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/18 Protocol analysers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols

Abstract

End-user response time in a network is determined by an analyzer which measures client data transfer time, server response time, server data transfer time and, if the protocol is a TCP protocol, further measuring server network round trip time. End-user response time may be approximated by the sum of these determined times.

Claims

1. A method for determining end-user response time on a network in both TCP and non-TCP protocols, comprising:

determining client data transfer time;

determining server response time;

determining server data transfer time;

if the protocol is a TCP protocol, further determining server network round trip time; and

computing end-user response time, based on the determined client data transfer time, server response time and server data transfer time, and, if the protocol is a TCP protocol, the server network round trip time.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein client data transfer time is determined as the time between a beginning of data transfer from a client, and the end of a data transfer from the client.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein server response time is determined as the time between the end of data transfer from a client, and the start of a data transfer from a server.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein server data transfer time is determined as the time between the beginning of data transfer from a server, and the end of a data transfer from the server.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein server network round trip time is determined as the time between a data packet from the server and the TCP acknowledgement from the client for that packet.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein computing end-user response time comprises adding the determined client data transfer time, server response time and server data transfer time, and, if the protocol is a TCP protocol, further adding the server network round trip time.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein computing end-user response time comprises adding the determined client data transfer time, server response time and server data transfer time,

wherein client data transfer time is determined as the time between a beginning of data transfer from a client, and the end of a data transfer from the client,

wherein server response time is determined as the time between the end of data transfer from a client, and the start of a data transfer from a server, and

wherein server data transfer time is determined as the time between the beginning of data transfer from a server, and the end of a data transfer from the server, and

wherein computing end-user response time comprises adding the determined client data transfer time, server response time and server data transfer time, and, if the protocol is a TCP protocol, further adding the server network round trip time.

8. An apparatus for determining end-user response time for both TCP and non-TCP protocol traffic on a network, comprising:

a network interface for connecting to and observing traffic on a network;

a processor;

a storage medium for storing data;

wherein said processor performs traffic timing to determine client data transfer time, determine server response time, determine server data transfer time, if the protocol is a TCP protocol further determining server network round trip time, and,

wherein said processor computes end-user response time, based on the determined client data transfer time, server response time and server data transfer time, and, if the protocol is a TCP protocol, the server network round trip time.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein client data transfer time is determined as the time between a beginning of data transfer from a client, and the end of a data transfer from the client.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein server response time is determined as the time between the end of data transfer from a client, and the start of a data transfer from a server.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein server data transfer time is determined as the time between the beginning of data transfer from a server, and the end of a data transfer from the server.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein server network round trip time is determined as the time between a data packet from the server and the TCP acknowledgement from the client for that packet.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein computing end-user response time comprises adding the determined client data transfer time, server response time and server data transfer time, and, if the protocol is a TCP protocol, further adding the server network round trip time.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein client data transfer time is determined as the time between a beginning of data transfer from a client, and the end of a data transfer from the client,

wherein server response time is determined as the time between the end of data transfer from a client, and the start of a data transfer from a server, and

wherein server data transfer time is determined as the time between the beginning of data transfer from a server, and the end of a data transfer from the server, and

wherein computing end-user response time comprises adding the determined client data transfer time, server response time and server data transfer time, and, if the protocol is a TCP protocol, further adding the server network round trip time.