Stabilization tool for a high-capacity network infrastructure

• US 8,856,376 B1
• Filed: 12/18/2008
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Ragunas, Michael J., Watson, David J., Ellington, Eric M., Doring, Matthew J., Diemer, Catherine A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIU, HO T
• Application Number:
  US12/338,320
• Time in Patent Office: 2,119 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3433 for load management allocation of a server based on load conditions G06F9/505; load rebalancing G06F9/5083; redistributing the load in a network by a load balancer H04L67/1029
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/87 Monitoring of transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/88 Monitoring involving counting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a system and method to stabilize high-capacity network infrastructures by monitoring and regulating concurrent connections between a server and various service provider systems in a network. Based on the attributes of the concurrent connections, the connections are logically grouped to form adapters that represent particular combinations of connection attributes. The concurrent connections to an adapter are monitored and regulated to help identify failing components and to manage the load on the network through the use of autonomic computing to optimize network performance and automatically adapt to changing conditions. The regulation of the concurrent connections to an adapter includes the calculation and assignment of a timeout value to new connections to make certain that service provider system response times are low in terms of a success or failure to respond in a timely fashion.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring and regulating concurrent connections in a network, wherein the network comprises at least one server and a plurality of service provider systems, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a transaction request from a data channel related to a service provider system;

determining, by the processor, if the current connections with a server is greater than a maximum number of the current connections allowed for the server;

incrementing, by the processor, a global active counter for the server reflecting that the transaction request is going to be processed when the current connections is less than the maximum number of the current connections for the server, and providing a resource unavailable notification when the current connections is greater than the maximum number of current connections;

processing, by the processor, the transaction request by sending the transaction request to the service provider system;

decrementing, by the processor, the global active counter for the server when the transaction request is processed;

incrementing, by the processor, a global dormant counter for the server reflecting a response to the transaction request is pending;

determining, by the processor, if the current connections with an adapter is greater than a maximum number of current connections allowed for the adapter, wherein the adapter is a combination of attributes that comprises at least the service provider;

incrementing, by the processor, a dormant counter for the adapter when the current connections is less than the maximum number of the current connections for the adapter reflecting that a new concurrent connection is being created, and providing the resource unavailable notification when the current connections is greater than the maximum number of current connections;

accessing, by the processor, the service provider system associated with the transaction request with a new connection including a thread, wherein the thread comprises a timeout value and controls the new connection to the service provider system;

determining, by the processor, if a response is received from the service provider before the thread times out;

decrementing, by the processor, the dormant counter for the adapter reflecting that the new connection has ended and decrementing the global dormant counter reflecting that the response to the transaction request is no longer pending when the response from the service provider is received before the thread is timed out reflecting that a current connection on the adapter has ended, and providing the resource unavailable notification when the thread times out before the response is received;

incrementing, by the processor, the global active counter reflecting that the response is being processed;

processing, by the processor, the response from the service provider system;

returning, by the processor, the response from the service provider system to the data channel that initiated the transaction request; and

decrementing, by the processor, the global active counter indicating that the transaction request is completed.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the timeout value is calculated based at least in part on the current number of concurrent connections for the adapter and a maximum number of concurrent connections for the adapter.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the resource unavailable notification comprises responding that the transaction request has malfunctioned.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the maximum number of

concurrent connections to the at least one server comprises a maximum number of active connections to the at least one server and a maximum number of dormant connections to the at least one server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data channel is an ATM machine that initiates the transaction request.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data channel is a computing device that initiates the transaction request.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the computing device initiates the transaction request when a bank customer uses a banking website.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the computing device initiates the transaction request when a bank customer service representative responds to a customer request.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data channel is a telephone that initiates the transaction request.

10. A computer program product for monitoring and regulating concurrent connections in a network, wherein the network comprises at least one server and a plurality of service provider systems, wherein the computer program product comprises a non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium comprises computer executable program code that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to:

receive a transaction request from a data channel related to a service provider system;

determine if the current connections with a server is greater than a maximum number of the current connections allowed for the server;

increment a global active counter for the server reflecting that the transaction request is going to be processed when the current connections is less than the maximum number of the current connections for the server, and provide a resource unavailable notification when the current connections is greater than the maximum number of current connections;

process the transaction request by sending the transaction request to the service provider

decrement the global active counter for the server when the transaction request is processed;

increment a global dormant counter for the server reflecting a response to the transaction request is pending;

determine if the current connections with an adapter is greater than a maximum number of current connections allowed for the adapter, wherein the adapter is a combination of attributes that comprises at least the service provider;

increment a dormant counter for the adapter when the current connections is less than the maximum number of the current connections for the adapter reflecting that a new concurrent connection is being created, and provide the resource unavailable notification when the current connections is greater than the maximum number of current connections;

access the service provider system associated with the transaction request with a new connection including a thread, wherein the thread comprises a timeout value and controls the new connection to the service provider system;

determine if a response is received from the service provider before the thread times out;

decrement the dormant counter for the adapter reflecting that the new connection has ended and decrement the global dormant counter reflecting that the response to the transaction request is no longer pending when the response from the service provider is received before the thread is timed out reflecting that a current connection on the adapter has ended, and provide the resource unavailable notification when the thread times out before the response is received;

increment the global active counter reflecting that the response is being processed;

process the response from the service provider system;

return the response from the service provider system to the data channel that initiated the transaction request; and

decrement the global active counter indicating that the transaction request is completed.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the computer executable program code causes the computer to calculate the timeout value based at least in part on the current number of concurrent connections for the adapter and a maximum number of concurrent connections for the adapter.

12. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the computer executable program code for providing the resource unavailable notification causes the computer to respond that the transaction request has malfunctioned.

13. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the maximum number of concurrent connections to the at least one server comprises a maximum number of active connections to the at least one server and a maximum number of dormant connections to the at least one server.

14. An apparatus comprising memory and a processor configured to execute a process for monitoring and regulating concurrent connections in a network, wherein the network comprises at least one server and a plurality of service provider systems, the process comprising:

receiving a transaction request from a data channel related to a service provider system;

determining if the current connections with a server is greater than a maximum number of the current connections allowed for the server;

incrementing a global active counter for the server reflecting that the transaction request is going to be processed when the current connections is less than the maximum number of the current connections for the server and providing a resource unavailable notification when the current connections is greater than the maximum number of current connections;

processing the transaction request by sending the transaction request to the service provider system;

decrementing the global active counter for the server when the transaction request is processed;

incrementing a global dormant counter for the server reflecting a response to the transaction request is pending;

determining if the current connections with an adapter is greater than a maximum number of current connections allowed for the adapter, wherein the adapter is a combination of attributes that comprises at least the service provider;

incrementing a dormant counter for the adapter when the current connections is less than the maximum number of the current connections for the adapter reflecting that a new concurrent connection is being created and providing the resource unavailable notification when the current connections is greater than the maximum number of current connections;

accessing the service provider system associated with the transaction request with a new connection including a thread, wherein the thread comprises a timeout value and controls the new connection to the service provider system;

determining if a response is received from the service provider before the thread times out;

decrementing the dormant counter for the adapter reflecting that the new connection has ended and decrementing the global dormant counter reflecting that the response to the transaction request is no longer pending when the response from the service provider is received before the thread is timed out reflecting that a current connection on the adapter has ended and providing the resource unavailable notification when the thread times out before the response is received;

incrementing the global active counter reflecting that the response is being processed;

processing the response from the service provider system;

returning the response from the service provider system to the data channel that initiated the transaction request; and

decrementing the global active counter indicating that the transaction request is completed.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the timeout value is calculated based at least in part on the current number of concurrent connections for the adapter and a maximum number of concurrent connections for the adapter.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein providing the resource notification comprises responding that the transaction request has malfunctioned.

17. A system for monitoring and regulating concurrent connections in a network, the system comprising:

at least one server configured to connect to at least one data channel, wherein each connection between the at least one server and the at least one data channel is one of a plurality of concurrent connections;

at least one execution system configured to execute and respond to transaction requests, wherein each transaction request creates a concurrent connection between an execution system and a server that is one of the plurality of concurrent connections; and

a processing system in communication with the execution system and configured to;

receive a transaction request from a data channel related to a service provider determine if the current connections with a server is greater than a maximum number of the current connections allowed for the server;

increment a global active counter for the server reflecting that the transaction request is going to be processed when the current connections is less than the maximum number of the current connections for the server, and provide a resource unavailable notification when the current connections is greater than the maximum number of current connections;

process the transaction request by sending the transaction request to the service provider system;

decrement the global active counter for the server when the transaction request is processed;

increment a global dormant counter for the server reflecting a response to the transaction request is pending;

determine if the current connections with an adapter is greater than a maximum number of current connections allowed for the adapter, wherein the adapter is a combination of attributes that comprises at least the service provider;

increment a dormant counter for the adapter when the current connections is less than the maximum number of the current connections for the adapter reflecting that a new concurrent connection is being created, and provide the resource unavailable notification when the current connections is greater than the maximum number of current connections;

access the service provider system associated with the transaction request with a new connection including a thread, wherein the thread comprises a timeout value and controls the new connection to the service provider system;

determine if a response is received from the service provider before the thread times out;

decrement the dormant counter for the adapter reflecting that the new connection has ended and decrement the global dormant counter reflecting that the response to the transaction request is no longer pending when the response from the service provider is received before the thread is timed out reflecting that a current connection on the adapter has ended, and provide the resource unavailable notification when the thread times out before the response is received;

increment the global active counter reflecting that the response is being processed;

process the response from the service provider system;

return the response from the service provider system to the data channel that initiated the transaction request; and

decrement the global active counter indicating that the transaction request is completed.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the processing system calculates the timeout value based at least in part on the current number of concurrent connections in the first group and a maximum number of concurrent connections for the first group.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein providing the resource unavailable notification comprises responding that the transaction request has malfunctioned.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one execution system comprises a computing device configured to run a bank software application.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one data channel comprises a device configured to initiate a transaction request.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the device configured to initiate the transaction request is an ATM machine.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the device configured to initiate the transaction request is a computing device.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the device configured to initiate the transaction request is a telephone.

25. A method for identifying a problem in a network, wherein the network comprises at least one server, a plurality of service provider systems, a plurality of concurrent connections, wherein each connection in the plurality of concurrent connection connects a data channel to a server, or the server to one of the plurality of service provider systems, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a transaction request from a data channel related to a service provider system;

determining, by the processor, if the current connections with a server is greater than a maximum number of the current connections allowed for the server;

incrementing, by the processor, a global active counter for the server reflecting that the transaction request is going to be processed when the current connections is less than the maximum number of the current connections for the server and providing a resource unavailable notification when the current connections is greater than the maximum number of current connections;

processing, by the processor, the transaction request by sending the transaction request to the service provider system;

decrementing, by the processor, the global active counter for the server when the transaction request is processed;

incrementing, by the processor, a global dormant counter for the server reflecting a response to the transaction request is pending;

determining, by the processor, if the current connections with an adapter is greater than a maximum number of current connections allowed for the adapter, wherein the adapter is a combination of attributes that comprises at least the service provider;

incrementing, by the processor, a dormant counter for the adapter when the current connections is less than the maximum number of the current connections for the adapter reflecting that a new concurrent connection is being created and providing the resource unavailable notification when the current connections is greater than the maximum number of current connections;

accessing, by the processor, the service provider system associated with the transaction request with a new connection including a thread, wherein the thread comprises a timeout value and controls the new connection to the service provider system;

determining, by the processor, if a response is received from the service provider before the thread times out;

decrementing, by the processor, the dormant counter for the adapter reflecting that the new connection has ended and decrementing the global dormant counter reflecting that the response to the transaction request is no longer pending when the response from the service provider is received before the thread is timed out reflecting that a current connection on the adapter has ended and providing the resource unavailable notification when the thread times out before the response is received;

incrementing, by the processor, the global active counter reflecting that the response is being processed;

processing, by the processor, the response from the service provider system;

returning, by the processor, the response from the service provider system to the data channel that initiated the transaction request; and

decrementing, by the processor, the global active counter indicating that the transaction request is completed.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising identifying a problem in the network by determining which of one or more connection attributes in the plurality of concurrent connections are unique.