Service level management system

• US 8,656,000 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2009
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vmware LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wexler, Asaf, Dembak, Yoav
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOO, ANDREW M
• Application Number:
  US12/545,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20090313273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5083 Techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 Reaction to server failures by a load balancer

Abstract

A service level management (SLM) system where the system learns the structure of a web application, monitors the operation of the application, and controls the processing of incoming requests to achieve optimal performance as defined in a service level agreement (SLA). The system is operative for example in enterprise web applications and in enterprise data centers that deploy web applications and optimally is capable of controlling and maintaining a level of service of web applications.

Claims

1. A service level management (SLM) system in a network with a plurality of clients and a plurality of web servers, the SLM system comprising:

a traffic processor for processing data traffic sent from the plurality of clients and from the plurality of web servers;

an application learner for identifying transactions sent from the plurality of clients, wherein the application learner is configured to;

discover transactions executed by the plurality of web servers;

classify incoming requests to discovered web applications;

collect non-classified incoming requests; and

generate a data structure that includes at least some of the discovered transactions, the incoming requests and non-classified incoming requests;

a monitor for monitoring and generating statistics respective of the operation of the web servers and their respective web applications; and

a controller for performing corrective actions according to a plurality of predefined policies, wherein each policy is assigned with a priority and time periods to be activated.

2. The SLM system of claim 1, further comprising a common bus for providing a communication medium between the traffic processor, the application learner, the monitor, and the controller.

3. The SLM system of claim 1, wherein the traffic sent from the clients includes at least hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) requests.

4. The SLM system of claim 3, wherein the traffic sent from the plurality of web servers includes at least HTTP replies.

5. The SLM system of claim 1, wherein the collected incoming requests are saved in a first database coupled to the application learner.

6. The SLM system of claim 5, wherein the application learner is configured to:

process requests saved in the first database using at least a plurality of application definers; and

save information related to the discovered web applications in a classify data structure (CDS).

7. The SLM system of claim 6, wherein the CDS includes a list of identified sites, for each site a list of its web applications, and for each web application a list of transactions and modules that construct the web application.

8. The SLM system of claim 6, wherein the CDS is saved in a database, wherein the database is coupled to the application learner.

9. The SLM system of claim 1, wherein the statistics respective of the operation of the web servers are generated for each web application and include the following measures:

throughput, response time, number of errors, hits per second, and latency.

10. The SLM system of claim 9, wherein the generated statistics are saved in a database, wherein the database is coupled to the monitor.

11. The SLM system of claim 1, wherein the monitor is further producing a plurality of reports based on the generated statistics.

12. The SLM system of claim 1, wherein the corrective actions include at least one of:

scheduling requests to reduce response time, shaping traffic to balance the load, and recovery actions on web servers.

13. The SLM system of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of predefined policies defines at least one corrective action to be performed.

14. The SLM system of claim 13, wherein a policy is determined for a web server, a web application, a module and a transaction.

15. The SLM system of claim 1 is configured to operate in series with data traffic and for controlling and maintaining a level of service of web applications.

16. The SLM system of claim 1, wherein at least one policy of the plurality of predefined policies defines two or more corrective actions, and wherein each of the two or more corrective actions is assigned with a different priority.

17. A service level management (SLM) system installed in series with data traffic between a plurality of clients and a plurality of web servers, the SLM system comprising:

a traffic processor for processing data traffic sent from the plurality of clients and from the plurality of web servers;

an application learner for identifying transactions sent from the plurality of clients, wherein the application learner is configured to;

discover transactions executed by the plurality of web servers;

classify incoming requests to discovered web applications;

collect non-classified incoming requests; and

generate a data structure that includes at least some of the discovered transactions, the incoming requests and non-classified incoming requests;

a monitor for monitoring and generating statistics respective of the operation of the web servers and their respective web applications; and

a controller for performing corrective actions according to a plurality of predefined policies, wherein each policy is assigned with a priority and time periods to be activated.

18. The SLM system of claim 17, wherein at least one policy of the plurality of predefined policies defines two or more corrective actions, and wherein each of the two or more corrective actions is assigned with a different priority.