Method for using dynamically scheduled synthetic transactions to monitor performance and availability of E-business systems

• US 8,326,971 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dickerson, Scott Stephen, Klazynski, James Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCADAMS, BRAD
• Application Number:
  US11/947,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20090144409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 714/1, 714/4, 714/25, 714/39, 714 47- 48, 714/4.1
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/87 Monitoring of transactions

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for monitoring operations of a specified transaction server that has an associated network topology. One embodiment comprises the steps of defining a plurality of zones within the network topology, and assigning one or more monitoring agents to each of the zones, wherein each agent is adapted to selectively run synthetic transactions with the specified server. The method further comprises monitoring results of successive synthetic transactions carried out by the agents, in order to detect any errors associated with the successive transactions. In response to detecting a performance or an availability problem, selectively, that is associated with a particular synthetic transaction run by a particular one of the agents, one or more agents is dynamically scheduled to run synthetic transactions, wherein each scheduled transaction has a specified relationship with the particular transaction.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring operations of a specified transaction server that has an associated network topology, wherein said method comprises the steps of:

defining a plurality of zones within said network topology;

assigning one or more monitoring agents to each of said zones, wherein each agent is adapted to selectively run synthetic transactions with said specified transaction server;

monitoring results of successive synthetic transactions carried out by said monitoring agents, in order to detect any errors associated with said successive synthetic transactions; and

in response to detecting a problem associated with a particular synthetic transaction run by a particular one of said monitoring agents, a normal mode of operation, wherein said monitoring agents are respectively scheduled to run said synthetic transactions at pre-specified times, is overridden and a dynamic scheduling mode is invoked wherein certain ones of said monitoring agents are respectively scheduled to run said additional synthetic transactions immediately following detection of said problem associated with said particular synthetic transaction, wherein each additional scheduled transaction is selected because of a specified relationship with said particular synthetic transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

results of each of said scheduled additional synthetic transactions are selectively correlated with one another, in order to determine the cause of said detected problem.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said scheduled additional synthetic transactions are respectively run immediately, following detection of said problem associated with said particular synthetic transaction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said scheduling and correlating tasks are carried out by a monitoring server connected to each of said monitoring agents, wherein said monitoring server sends transaction playback schedules to certain ones of said monitoring agents that indicate when to run at least one given synthetic transaction.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said correlated results and said determined cause are presented to a user of said specified transaction server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

one or more monitoring agents assigned to a same zone as said particular agent are respectively scheduled to run said particular synthetic transaction responsive to determining that the problem was not detected by other monitoring agents running said particular synthetic transaction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said detected failure is determined to be caused by said specified server, and information pertaining to previous transactions utilizing said specified server are retrieved and selectively analyzed responsive to determining that the problem was not detected by other monitoring agents running said particular synthetic transaction in same zone as the particular one of the monitoring agents that detected the problem.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said monitored results of said successive synthetic transactions are stored at a specified location, and used in analyzing subsequent detected errors associated with synthetic transactions.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

one or more of said monitoring agents are dynamically scheduled to run synthetic transactions that are each known to use infrastructure that is common to said particular synthetic transaction.

6. A method for monitoring operations of a specified transaction server that has an associated network topology, wherein said method comprises the steps of:

defining a plurality of zones within said network topology;

assigning one or more monitoring agents to each of said zones, wherein each agent is adapted to selectively run synthetic transactions with said specified transaction server;

monitoring results of successive synthetic transactions carried out by said monitoring agents, in order to detect any errors associated with said successive synthetic transactions; and

in response to detecting a problem associated with a particular synthetic transaction run by a particular one of said monitoring agents, a normal mode of operation, wherein said monitoring agents are respectively scheduled to run said synthetic transactions at pre-specified times, is overridden and a dynamic scheduling mode is invoked wherein certain ones of said monitoring agents are respectively scheduled to run said additional synthetic transactions immediately following detection of said problem associated with said particular synthetic transaction, wherein each scheduled transaction has a specified relationship with said particular synthetic transaction, wherein certain ones of said monitoring agents are scheduled to run said particular synthetic transaction in each of said zones, other than the zone to which said particular agent is assigned.

11. A computer program product executable in a non-transitory computer readable medium for monitoring operations of a specified transaction server that has an associated network topology, wherein said computer program product comprises:

instructions for defining a plurality of zones within said network topology;

instructions for assigning one or more monitoring agents to each of said zones, wherein each agent is adapted to selectively run synthetic transactions with said specified transaction server;

instructions for monitoring results of successive synthetic transactions carried out by said monitoring agents, in order to detect any errors associated with said successive synthetic transactions; and

instructions responsive to detecting a problem associated with a particular synthetic transaction run by a particular one of said monitoring agents, a normal mode of operation, wherein said monitoring agents are respectively scheduled to run said synthetic transactions at pre-specified times, is overridden and a dynamic scheduling mode is invoked wherein certain ones of said monitoring agents are respectively scheduled to run said additional synthetic transactions immediately following detection of said problem associated with said particular synthetic transaction, wherein each additional scheduled transaction is selected because of a specified relationship with said particular synthetic transaction.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein:

results of each of said scheduled additional synthetic transactions are selectively correlated with one another, in order to determine the cause of said detected problem.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein:

said scheduled additional synthetic transactions are respectively run immediately, following detection of said error associated with said particular synthetic transaction.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein:

one or more monitoring agents assigned to a same zone as said particular monitoring agent are respectively scheduled to run said particular synthetic transaction responsive to determining that the problem was not detected by other monitoring agents running said particular synthetic transaction.

14. A computer program product executable in a non-transitory computer readable medium for monitoring operations of a specified transaction server that has an associated network topology, wherein said computer program product comprises:

instructions for defining a plurality of zones within said network topology;

instructions for assigning one or more monitoring agents to each of said zones, wherein each agent is adapted to selectively run synthetic transactions with said specified transaction server;

instructions for monitoring results of successive synthetic transactions carried out by said monitoring agents, in order to detect any errors associated with said successive synthetic transactions; and

instructions responsive to detecting a problem associated with a particular synthetic transaction run by a particular one of said monitoring agents, a normal mode of operation, wherein said monitoring agents are respectively scheduled to run said synthetic transactions at pre-specified times, is overridden and a dynamic scheduling mode is invoked wherein certain ones of said monitoring agents are respectively scheduled to run said additional synthetic transactions immediately following detection of said problem associated with said particular synthetic transaction, wherein each scheduled transaction has a specified relationship with said particular synthetic transaction, wherein certain ones of said monitoring agents are scheduled to run said particular synthetic transaction in each of said zones, other than the zone to which said particular agent is assigned.

16. A data processing system for monitoring operations of a specified transaction server that has an associated network topology, wherein said data processing system comprises:

a data processor and a memory coupled to the data processor;

a plurality of monitoring agents, each assigned to one of a plurality of zones within said network topology, wherein each agent is adapted to selectively run synthetic transactions with said specified transaction server;

program code in the memory and operable by the data processor to perform steps of;

monitoring results of successive synthetic transactions carried out by said monitoring agents, in order to detect any errors associated with said successive synthetic transactions; and

responsive to detecting a problem associated with a particular synthetic transaction run by a particular one of said monitoring agents, a normal mode of operation, wherein said monitoring agents are respectively scheduled to run said synthetic transactions at pre-specified times, is overridden and a dynamic scheduling mode is invoked wherein certain ones of said monitoring agents are respectively scheduled to run said additional synthetic transactions immediately following detection of said problem associated with said particular synthetic transaction, wherein each additional scheduled transaction is selected because of a specified relationship with said particular synthetic transaction.

17. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein:

said program code is further operable to correlate the results of said scheduled additional synthetic transactions with one another, in order to determine the cause of said detected problem.

18. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein:

said scheduled additional synthetic transactions are respectively run immediately, following detection of said error associated with said particular synthetic transaction.

19. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein:

said scheduling and correlating tasks are carried out by a monitoring server connected to each of said monitoring agents, wherein said monitoring server sends transaction playback schedules to certain ones of said monitoring agents that indicate when to run at least one given synthetic transaction.