Using different connectivity checks to determine causes of connectivity issues

• US 9,544,207 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2013
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Allen, Nicole, Zhao, Zhipeng, Zhu, Zhengwen, Hughes, Bradley, Avila, Dionicio, McGrath, Shawn, Nelson, Jason, Tait, John, Whitney, Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): KATSIKIS, KOSTAS J
• Application Number:
  US13/923,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20140379894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0645 by additionally acting on or stimulating the network after receiving notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity

Abstract

Connectivity is tested using different locations and contexts selected from different possible failure zones. The failure zones may include: client failure zones; Internet failure zones; and online service failure zones. The results relating to different connectivity tests performed using the different failure zones are correlated and analyzed in an attempt to determine a root cause of the connectivity issue. For example, the root cause may be determined to be a configuration problem of the client, a problem with the client'"'"'s networking equipment, an ISP problem, an Internet backbone problem; a problem of the online service, and the like. Different contexts may also be used when performing the tests. These results may be compared to the other connectivity test results. The results from the tests may be provided to the client experiencing the problem. Aggregated test results may also be used to detect service wide issues and trigger an alert.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for analyzing connectivity issues between a client and a service, comprising:

performing a client connectivity test on a client failure zone, wherein the client connectivity test includes at least one of testing a client device, testing one or more applications running on a client device, testing a client network equipment, and testing a client network;

generating client connectivity test results;

performing a service connectivity test on a service failure zone, the service connectivity test including at least one of testing the operation of the service, testing network of the service, testing the service applications;

generating service connectivity test results;

performing an outside connectivity test on an Internet failure zone, wherein the outside connectivity test includes testing the connectivity of the Internet outside of the client failure zone and the service failure zone;

generating outside connectivity test results;

automatically analyzing the client connectivity test results, the outside connectivity test results, and the service connectivity results to determine a possible cause of a connectivity issue; and

sending the possible cause to the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the Internet failure zone comprise an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and an Internet backbone, and wherein the service failure zone comprises a service computing device and a service network environment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the client connectivity test comprises using an account of the client when performing a first client connectivity test.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing multiple tests for each of the client connectivity test and the outside connectivity test.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the client connectivity test further comprises performing a plurality of connectivity checks from a client computing device in the client failure zone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the possible cause of the connectivity issue comprises sending a message to an application experiencing the connectivity issue a possible solution to the connectivity issue.

7. A system comprising:

a processor and memory;

an operating environment executing using the processor; and

a connectivity manager that is configured to perform actions comprising;

performing client connectivity tests on a client failure zone, wherein the client connectivity test includes at least one of testing a client device, testing one or more applications running on a client device, testing a client network equipment, and testing a client network;

generating client connectivity test results;

performing a service connectivity test on a service failure zone, the service connectivity test including at least one of testing the operation of the service, testing network of the service, testing the service applications;

generating service connectivity test results;

performing outside connectivity tests on an Internet failure zone, wherein the outside connectivity test includes testing the connectivity of the Internet outside of the client failure zone and the service failure zone;

generating outside connectivity test results;

automatically analyzing the client connectivity test results, the outside connectivity test results, and the service connectivity results to determine a possible cause of a connectivity issue; and

sending the possible cause to the client device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein performing the client connectivity tests further comprises using an account of the client when performing a set of first client connectivity tests and using a test account when performing a second set of client connectivity tests.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the Internet failure zone comprise an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and an Internet backbone;

and wherein the service failure zone comprises a service computing device and a service network environment.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising aggregating results by aggregating the client connectivity test results, the outside connectivity test results, and the service connectivity test results to form aggregated results;

analyzing the aggregated results to determine a service wide issue and automatically triggering an alert in response to determining the service wide issue.

11. A computer storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for analyzing connectivity issues between a client and a service, comprising:

performing client connectivity tests on a client failure zone, wherein the client connectivity test includes at least one of testing a client device, testing one or more applications running on a client device, testing a client network equipment, and testing a client network;

generating client connectivity test results;

performing a service connectivity test on a service failure zone, the service connectivity test including at least one of testing the operation of the service, testing network of the service, testing the service applications;

generating service connectivity test results;

perform an outside connectivity test on an Internet failure zone, wherein the outside connectivity test includes testing the connectivity of the Internet outside of the client failure zone and the service failure zone;

generating outside connectivity test results;

automatically analyzing the client connectivity test results, the outside connectivity test results, and the service connectivity results to determine a possible cause of a connectivity issue; and

sending the possible cause to the client device.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein performing the client connectivity tests comprises using an account of the client when performing a set of first client connectivity tests.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the Internet failure zone comprise an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and an Internet backbone, and wherein the service failure zone comprises a service computing device and a service network environment.