ASSESSMENT OF CONTENT DELIVERY SERVICES USING PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS FROM WITHIN AN END USER CLIENT APPLICATION

• US 20160381166A1
• Filed: 09/09/2016
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Holland, Mark C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,736,258 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/14 Network analysis or design
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

A system for measuring and monitoring performance of online content is provided. In one embodiment, the system includes an intermediary device, such as a web proxy, that receives client requests for content, such as requests for web pages. The device obtains the requested content, modifies it by applying one or more performance optimizations, and serves it to the client. The device also inserts code into the content for execution by the client to gather and report data reflecting, e.g., how quickly the client is able to get and process the content. The code includes information identifying the modifications the device made, and this is reported with the timing data, so that the effect on performance can be analyzed. In other embodiments, the device selects one of multiple versions of content, and the inserted code contains information identifying the selected version. The foregoing are merely examples; other embodiments are described herein.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. Computer apparatus, comprising:

A. a network interface for receiving requests for content from clients over a network;

B. circuitry forming one or more processors and memory holding instructions to be executed by the one or more processors to cause the computer apparatus to respond to the requests by;

i. obtaining the content from a source computer or from a local cache that stores a copy of the content previously obtained from the source computer;

ii. for a first set of client requests;

a) for only a first proportion of first set of client requests, inserting code into the requested content for execution by the client when processing the content, wherein execution of the code will cause the client to gather timing information about the client'"'"'s processing of the modified content and transmit the timing information over the network to the computer apparatus or another computer;

b) sending the content with the inserted code to the client;

iii. for a second set of client requests;

a). for only a second proportion of the second set of client requests, inserting code into the requested content for execution by the client when processing the content, wherein execution of the code will cause the client to gather timing information about the client'"'"'s processing of the modified content and transmit the timing information over the network to the computer apparatus or another computer;

b) sending the content with the inserted code to the client;

C. wherein the first set of requests corresponds to requests falling within a traffic category specified by a provider of the content, and the second set of requests corresponds to requests falling outside of the traffic category.

23. The computer apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first proportion is higher than the second proportion.

24. The computer apparatus of claim 22, wherein the traffic category corresponds to any of:

client requests from particular geographies, client requests from clients running particular client applications, client requests from clients running particular client browsers.

25. The computer apparatus of claim 22, wherein the traffic category corresponds to client requests that result in invocation of one or more particular features of the computer apparatus in generating a response thereto.