Transaction performance monitoring

• US 9,547,834 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2014
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Nayyar, Ashish K., Dixit, Amit Subhash, Piduru, Trivikram
• Primary Examiner(s): Vy, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US14/150,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20150193263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 707/706, 711167-168, 370/236, 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure provide systems and methods directed toward monitoring transactions between computing resources of a computing system. A transaction agent may monitor transactions between computing resources and generate transaction log information corresponding to the transactions. A current transaction rate for a current time period and a previous transaction rate for a previous time period may be automatically obtained based on transaction log information. The current transaction rate may be compared to the previous transaction rate, and a transaction rate alert may be generated responsive to determining that the previous transaction rate exceeds the current transaction rate. A current and previous transaction latency average may also be obtained based on transaction time information of the transaction log information. The transaction latency averages may be compared, and a transaction latency alert may be generated responsive to determining that the current transaction latency average exceeds the previous transaction latency average.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for monitoring transaction processing at a computing system comprising:

monitoring transactions between computing resources of a computing system using a transaction monitoring agent wherein access to the computing resources is obtained via a communication network;

generating, by the transaction monitoring agent, transaction log information corresponding to the transactions;

obtaining, automatically by a computing device, a current transaction rate for a current time period based on the transaction log information;

obtaining, automatically by the computing device, a previous transaction rate for a previous time period prior to the current time period based on the transaction log information;

comparing, by the computing device, the current transaction rate to the previous transaction rate;

generating, by the computing device, a transaction rate alert responsive to determining that the previous transaction rate exceeds the current transaction rate by greater than a first predetermined transaction rate difference threshold used to trigger alerts;

determining, by the computing device, that a network latency on the communication network has increased;

adjusting the first predetermined transaction rate difference threshold used to trigger alerts to a second, different predetermined transaction rate difference threshold used to trigger alerts automatically by the computing device in response to the determining that the network latency has increased;

determining, by the computing device, that the network latency on the communication network has decreased; and

reverting the second predetermined transaction rate difference threshold used to trigger alerts to the first predetermined transaction rate threshold used to trigger alerts automatically by the computing device in response to the determining that the network latency has decreased.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the current transaction rate is one of a plurality of current transaction rates obtained for the current time period based on the transaction log information; and

the plurality of current transaction rates includes a current minute transaction rate, a current hour transaction rate, a current day transaction rate, a current week transaction rate, and a current month transaction rate.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the transaction log information includes transaction time information and further comprising:

obtaining, automatically by the computing device, a current transaction latency average for the current time period based on the transaction time information;

obtaining, automatically by the computing device, a previous transaction latency average for the previous time period based on the transaction time information;

comparing, by the computing device, the current transaction latency average to the previous transaction latency average; and

generating, by the computing device, a transaction latency alert responsive to determining that the current transaction latency average exceeds the previous transaction latency average.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

the current transaction latency average is one of a plurality of current transaction latency averages obtained for the current time period based on the transaction time information; and

the plurality of current transaction latency averages include a current minute transaction latency average, a current hour transaction latency average, a current day transaction latency average, a current week transaction latency average, and a current month transaction latency average.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the current transaction rate, previous transaction rate, current transaction latency average, and previous transaction latency average are based on transaction information corresponding to transactions performed between a first computing resource and a second computing resource of the computing system.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the current transaction rate, previous transaction rate, current transaction latency average, and previous transaction latency average are based on transaction information corresponding to transactions respectively performed between a first computing resource and a plurality of computing resources of the computing system.

7. A system for monitoring transaction processing at a computing system comprising:

at least one processor;

a data store that stores transaction log information collected by a transaction monitoring agent and corresponding to transactions performed between computing resources of a computing system wherein the transaction log information includes transaction time information and wherein access to the computing resources is obtained via a communication network of the computing system; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to;

evaluate the transaction log by parsing the transaction log information, obtaining a current transaction metric for a current time period based on the transaction log information, and obtaining a previous transaction metric for a previous time period prior to the current time period based on the transaction log information;

evaluate a status of the current transaction metric by comparing the current transaction metric to the previous transaction metric and determining whether to trigger an alert based on a comparison between the current transaction metric and the previous transaction metric; and

generating the alert in response to determining that the current transaction metric deviates from the previous transaction metric by greater than a first predetermined transaction metric difference threshold used to trigger alerts;

evaluate a network latency on the communication network by determining whether the network latency has either increased or decreased; and

adjust the first predetermined transaction metric difference threshold used to trigger alerts by either (i) adjusting the first predetermined transaction metric difference threshold used to trigger alerts to a second predetermined transaction metric different threshold in response to determining that the network latency has increased, or (ii) reverting the first predetermined transaction metric difference threshold to a previous predetermined transaction metric difference threshold in response to determining that the network latency has decreased.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein:

the current transaction metric is a current transaction rate obtained based on the transaction log information;

the previous transaction metric is a previous transaction rate obtained based on the transaction log information; and

the first predetermined transaction metric difference threshold is a predetermined transaction rate difference threshold.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein:

the current transaction metric is a current transaction latency average obtained based on the transaction time information;

the previous transaction metric is a previous transaction latency average based on the transaction time information; and

the first predetermined transaction metric difference threshold is a predetermined transaction latency difference threshold.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein:

the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the system to present, at a display device, a user interface comprising;

a list of at least a portion of the computing resources of the computing system, and

an indication of at least one transaction metric associated with one of the computing resources included in the list;

wherein the portion of the computing resources included in the list are selectable by a user via the user interface.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein:

the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the system to;

select one of the computing resources included in the list presented at the user interface based on a selection received from the user via the user interface,

obtain a plurality of transaction metrics based on transaction log information corresponding to transactions associated with the computing resource selected, and

present the plurality of transaction metrics at the user interface; and

the plurality of transaction metrics includes a per minute transaction metric, a per hour transaction metric, a per day transaction metric, a per month transaction metric, and a per year transaction metric.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein:

the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the system to;

select a first computing resource and a second computing resource included in the list presented at the user interface based on selections received from the user via the user interface,

obtain at least one transaction metric based on transaction log information corresponding to transactions between the first computing resource and the second computing resource, and

present the at least one transaction metric at the user interface.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein:

the computing resources include a plurality of applications for processing respective transactions; and

the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the system to generate a dependency map for one of the applications based on an evaluation of the transaction log information.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein:

the application is a first application; and

generating the dependency map comprises;

identifying one or more transactions between the first application and a second application of the plurality of applications based on evaluation of the transaction log information,

configuring the dependency map to include a relationship between the first application and the second application,

determining whether the first application is upstream or downstream relative to the second application based on evaluation of the transaction log information,

identifying the first application as downstream of the second application in the dependency map responsive to determining that the first application provided a transaction request to the second application, and

identifying the first application as upstream of the second application in the dependency map responsive to determining that the first application provided a transaction response to the second application.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein:

the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the system to;

retrieve the dependency map responsive to a determination that the current transaction metric deviates from the previous transaction metric,

identify one or more downstream applications related to the first application based on the dependency map, and

transmit for each of the one or more downstream applications an alert indicating a deviation between the current transaction metric and the previous transaction metric.

16. Non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause a computing device to perform steps for monitoring transaction processing at a computing system, the steps comprising:

generating, using a transaction monitoring agent, transaction log information corresponding to transactions occurring between computing resources of a computing system wherein access to the computing resources is obtained via a communication network;

obtaining automatically a first transaction rate for a first time period based on the transaction log information;

obtaining automatically a second transaction rate for a second time period prior to the first time period based on the transaction log information;

comparing the first transaction rate to the second transaction rate;

generating a transaction rate alert responsive to determining that the second transaction rate exceeds the first transaction rate by greater than a first predetermined transaction rate difference threshold used to trigger alerts;

determining that a network latency on the communication network has increased;

adjusting the first predetermined transaction rate difference threshold used to trigger alerts to a second, different predetermined transaction rate difference threshold used to trigger alerts automatically in response to the determining that the network latency has increased;

determining that the network latency on the communication network has decreased; and

reverting the second predetermined transaction rate difference threshold used to trigger alerts to the first predetermined transaction rate threshold used to trigger alerts automatically in response to the determining that the network latency has decreased.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16 wherein:

the transaction log information further includes transaction time information;

the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to further perform steps comprising;

obtaining automatically a first transaction latency average for the first time period based on the transaction time information,

obtaining automatically a second transaction latency average for the second time period prior to the first time period based on the transaction time information,

comparing the first transaction latency average to the second transaction latency average; and

generating a transaction latency alert in response to determining that the first transaction latency exceeds the second transaction latency average.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to further perform steps comprising:

presenting a list of at least a portion of the computing resources of the computing system at a user interface;

presenting at least one transaction metric associated with one of the computing resources included in the list at the user interface;

configuring the list such that the portion of the computing resources included in the list are selectable by a user via the user interface;

receiving a selection via the user interface of one of the computing resources included in the list;

obtaining a plurality of transaction metrics based on transaction log information corresponding to transactions associated with the computing resource selected; and

presenting the plurality of transaction metrics at the user interface;

wherein the plurality of transaction metrics includes a per minute transaction metric, a per hour transaction metric, a per day transaction metric, a per month transaction metric, and a per year transaction metric.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18 wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to further perform steps comprising:

generating a dependency map for one of the computing resources based on evaluation of the transaction log information.