Recording and serializing events

• US 7,970,946 B1
• Filed: 11/26/2008
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Shakil, Omer, Djabarov, Gueorgui N., Gutnik, Yevgeniy
• Primary Examiner(s): Donaghue; Larry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gillis; Brian J
• Application Number:
  US12/324,049
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/224, 709/230, 709/248, 713/400, 713/500
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3075 the data filtering being achieved in order to maintain consistency among the monitored data, e.g. ensuring that the monitored data belong to the same timeframe, to the same system or component
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/835 Timestamp
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring

Abstract

Event information with respect to events that occur at a client is recorded. A current client real time clock (RTC) timestamp at the occurrence of each event is also recorded. Each event is assigned a unique sequence identification. Event data including the event information and the associated RTC timestamp and sequence identification information are transmitted to a server. The server reconstructs at least one of: a chronological order of the events on the client and the time when each event occurred at the client.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a server system,

receiving, from a client, comprising a client device or system distinct from the server system, event data including;

event information with respect to events that occur at the client, client real time clock (RTC) timestamps associated with each event and unique sequence identification information associated with each event;

reconstructing at least one of;

a chronological order of the events on the client and the time when each event occurred at the client, wherein reconstructing comprises for a respective event, recording a time skew between the associated client RTC and a server RTC upon receipt of the event data at the server system and ordering the events by respective sequence identifications;

determining whether an ordering of the events by respective sequence identifications does not match a chronological order of the events based on client RTC timestamps; and

in accordance with a determination that the ordering of the events by respective sequence identifications does not match the chronological order of the events based on client RTC timestamps, normalizing the client RTC timestamps with the recorded time skew between the client RTC and the server RTC.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the event data includes event information with respect to an event at the client comprising a user-initiated change to the client RTC time.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique sequence identification information for a plurality of successive events at the client includes monotonically increasing integer values.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique sequence identification information for a respective event at the client includes two integer values, including a session value, which remains constant in value between executions of a client application at the client and which changes value when a new execution of the client application begins, and a sequence value, which changes monotonically in value while the session value remains constant and successive events occur at the client.

5. A method comprising:

at a client, comprising a client device or system distinct from a server system,

recording event information with respect to events that occur at the client;

recording a current client real time clock (RTC) timestamp at the occurrence of each event;

assigning each event a unique sequence identification; and

transmitting event data, including the event information and associated RTC timestamp and sequence identification information to the server system, when a network connection is established between the client and the server system and any of a plurality of trigger conditions is met, the plurality of trigger conditions including;

collection of a predetermined amount of event data at the client and occurrence of a particular event or events at the client;

at the server system,

reconstructing at least one of;

a chronological order of the events on the client and the time when each event occurred at the client;

wherein reconstructing comprises for a respective event, recording a time skew between the associated client RTC and a server RTC upon receipt of the event data at the server system and ordering the events by respective sequence identifications;

determining whether an ordering of the events by respective sequence identifications does not match a chronological order of the events based on client RTC timestamps; and

in accordance with a determination that the ordering of the events by respective sequence identifications does not match the chronological order of the events based on client RTC timestamps, normalizing the client RTC timestamps with the recorded time skew between the client RTC and the server RTC.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

at the client, assigning each successive event a monotonically increasing integer value as its unique sequence identification.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

at the client, assigning each successive event two integer values as its unique sequence identification.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the two integer values comprise a session value, which remains constant in value between executions of a client application and which changes value when a new execution of the client application begins, and a sequence value, which changes monotonically in value while the session value remains constant and successive events occur at the client.

9. A method comprising:

at a client, comprising a client device or system distinct from a server system,

recording event information with respect to events that occur at the client;

recording a current client real time clock (RTC) timestamp at the occurrence of each event;

assigning each event a unique sequence identification; and

transmitting event data including the event information and associated RTC timestamp and sequence identification information to the server system;

at the server system,

reconstructing at least one of;

a chronological order of the events on the client and the time when each event occurred at the client;

wherein reconstructing comprises for a respective event, recording a time skew between the associated client RTC and a server RTC upon receipt of the event data at the server system and ordering the events by respective sequence identifications;

determining whether an ordering of the events by respective sequence identifications does not match a chronological order of the events based on client RTC timestamps; and

in accordance with a determination that the ordering of the events by respective sequence identifications does not match the chronological order of the events based on client RTC timestamps, normalizing the client RTC timestamps with the recorded time skew between the client RTC and the server RTC.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

at the client, transmitting the event data if a network connection is established between the client and the server system and any of a plurality of trigger conditions is met, the plurality of trigger conditions including;

passage of a predetermined amount of time after a previous transmission of event data, collection of a predetermined amount of event data at the client and occurrence of a particular event or events at the client.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

at the client, assigning each successive event a monotonically increasing integer value as its unique sequence identification.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

at the client, assigning each successive event two integer values as its unique sequence identification.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the two integer values comprise a session value, which remains constant in value between executions of a client application and which changes value when a new execution of the client application begins, and a sequence value, which changes monotonically in value while the session value remains constant and successive events occur at the client.

14. A server system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory storing one or more programs having instructions to be executed by the one or more processors; and

a communication interface to receive, from a client, comprising a client device or system distinct from the server system, event data including;

event information with respect to events that occur at the client, client real time clock (RTC) timestamps associated with each event and unique sequence identification information associated with each event;

the one or more programs stored in memory including;

a reconstruction module to reconstruct at least one of;

a chronological order of the events on the client and the time when each event occurred at the client, wherein reconstructing comprises, for a respective event, recording a time skew between the associated client RTC and a server RTC upon receipt of the event data at the server system and ordering the events by respective sequence identifications; and

a normalization module to conditionally normalize the client RTC timestamps with the recorded time skew between the client RTC and the server RTC in accordance with a determination that an ordering of the events by respective sequence identifications does not match a chronological order of the events based on client RTC timestamps.

15. The server system of claim 14, wherein the event data includes event information with respect to an event at the client comprising a user-initiated change to the client RTC time.

16. The server system of claim 14, wherein the unique sequence identification information for a plurality of successive events at the client includes monotonically increasing integer values.

17. The server system of claim 14, wherein the unique sequence identification information for a respective event at the client includes two integer values, including a session value, which remains constant in value between executions of a client application at the client and which changes value when a new execution of the client application begins, and a sequence value, which changes monotonically in value while the session value remains constant and successive events occur at the client.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs for execution by one or more processors of a server system, the one or more programs comprising:

a communication module to receive, from a client, comprising a client device or system distinct from the server system, event data including;

event information with respect to events that occur at the client, client real time clock (RTC) timestamps associated with each event and unique sequence identification information associated with each event;

a reconstruction module to reconstruct at least one of;

a chronological order of the events on the client and the time when each event occurred at the client, wherein reconstructing comprises, for a respective event, recording a time skew between the associated client RTC and a server RTC upon receipt of the event data at the server system and ordering the events by respective sequence identifications; and

a normalization module to conditionally normalize the client RTC timestamps with the recorded time skew between the client RTC and the server RTC in accordance with a determination that an ordering of the events by respective sequence identifications does not match a chronological order of the events based on client RTC timestamps.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the event data includes event information with respect to an event at the client comprising a user-initiated change to the client RTC time.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the unique sequence identification information for a plurality of successive events at the client includes monotonically increasing integer values.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the unique sequence identification information for a respective event at the client includes two integer values, including a session value, which remains constant in value between executions of a client application at the client and which changes value when a new execution of the client application begins, and a sequence value, which changes monotonically in value while the session value remains constant and successive events occur at the client.