Network delay analysis including parallel delay effects

• US 8,745,215 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2011
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Riverbed Technology, LLC (Riverbed Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Riverbed Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Niemczyk, Steven, Malloy, Patrick J., Cohen, Alain J., Elsner, Russell Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Jungwon
• Application Number:
  US13/333,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20130067073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/226, 370/252, 370/254, 714/37, 707/8
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols

Abstract

The embodiments facilitate the analysis of application delays, including delays that occur on multiple paths. A trace file of an application'"'"'s network events is processed to categorize the causes of delays incurred in the propagation and processing of these events. The system identifies the amount of delay that can be eliminated by eliminating each of the components of delay individually, as well as the amount of delay that can be eliminated by eliminating combinations of the delay components. A user interface displays the amount of reduction that can be achieved by eliminating various delays alone or in combination. The interface also allows the user to view the individual delay components contained in combinations of delay components. In this manner, the user is provided a view of each of the delay components that would need to be addressed, either individually or in combination, to improve the overall application delay.

Claims

1. A method of providing network analysis information regarding execution of an application over a network based on varying individual components and at least one group of components affecting the application, said method comprising:

identifying a plurality of individual delay components affecting an application executing over a network;

identifying at least one group of delay components, wherein the at least one group of components comprises a combination of at least two or more of the individual delay components;

determining, by a processing system, respective contributions of each individual delay component to execution of the application;

determining, by the processing system, respective contributions of the identified at least one group of delay components to the application delay; and

outputting information to at least one of a display device and a computer-readable memory indicating respective effects of substantially varying individual delay components and the at least one group of delay components on the application delay.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the outputted information to a user the effects of varying individual delay components in comparison to the effects of the at least one group of delay components.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one group of delay components comprises identifying the at least one group in response to a request by a user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one group of delay components comprises identifying at least two components of a parallel delay associated with the application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the at least one group of delay components comprises:

categorizing each of the individual delay components; and

grouping combinations of at least two or more delay components based on their respective category.

6. An analysis system configured to analyze execution of an application over a network, said analysis system comprising:

an application extractor, coupled to portions of the application and the network, configured to receive trace information related to execution of the application over the network;

a computer-readable memory that stores the trace information; and

a controller configured to;

identify delay components contributing to delay in the execution of the application delay,

identify at least one group of two or more of the delay components,

determine values of the delay components based on the trace information,

determine respective contributions of varying each delay component individually,

determine respective contributions of collectively varying the identified at least one group of delay components, and

provide information indicating reductions achieved based on varying the delay components individually and varying the at least one group of delay components collectively.

7. The analysis system of claim 6, further comprising an interactive display providing to a user the information indicating reductions achieved based on varying the delay components individually and varying the at least one group of delay components collectively.

8. The analysis system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to identify the at least one group of two or more delay components in response to an input by a user.

9. The analysis system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to automatically identify the at least one group of two or more delay components.

10. An analysis system configured to simulate execution of an application over a network, said analysis system comprising:

an application extractor configured to receive trace information related to execution of the application over the network;

a computer-readable memory that stores the trace information; and

a controller configured to;

identify delay components contributing to delay in the execution of the application delay,

identify at least one group of two or more of the delay components,

determine values of the delay components based on the trace information,

determine respective contributions of varying each delay component individually,

determine respective contributions of collectively varying the identified at least one group of delay components, and

provide information indicating anticipated reductions achieved based on varying the delay components individually and varying the at least one group of delay components collectively.

11. The analysis system of claim 10, further comprising an interactive display providing to a user the information indicating simulated reductions achieved based on varying the delay components individually and varying the at least one group of delay components collectively.

12. The analysis system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to identify the at least one group of two or more delay components in response to an input by a user.

13. The analysis system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to automatically identify the at least one group of two or more delay components.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes a program that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to provide network analysis information regarding execution of an application over a network based on varying individual components and at least one group of components affecting the application, by:

identifying a plurality of individual delay components affecting an application executing over a network;

identifying the at least one group of delay components, wherein the at least one group of components comprise a combination of at least two or more of the individual delay components;

determining respective contributions of each of the individual delay components to execution of the application;

determining respective contributions of the identified at least one group of delay components to the application delay; and

outputting information indicating respective effects of substantially varying individual delay components and the at least one group of delay components on the application delay.

15. The medium of claim 14, further comprising means for displaying the outputted information to a user the effects of varying individual delay components in comparison to the effects of varying the at least one group of delay components.

16. The medium of claim 14, wherein identifying the at least one group of delay components includes identifying the at least one group in response to a request by a user.

17. The medium of claim 14, wherein identifying the at least one group of delay components includes identifying the at least one group of at least two components of a parallel delay by the application.

18. The medium of claim 14, wherein identifying the at least one group of delay components includes categorizing each of the individual delay components and grouping combinations of at least two or more of the delay components based on their respective category.