WO1996039663A1

WO1996039663A1 - Device, use and procedure to measure answer times and access in system with interconnected computers

Info

Publication number: WO1996039663A1
Application number: PCT/SE1996/000742
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anders Karlsson; Christer Andersson; Leif Peterson
Original assignee: Telia Ab
Priority date: 1995-06-06
Filing date: 1996-06-05
Publication date: 1996-12-12
Also published as: SE9502076D0; SE504918C2; SE9502076L

Abstract

Procedure and device to measure analysis parameters in communication system including a user environment with communication equipment and one or more external environments with communication equipment and one or more communication networks. Between said user environment and said external environment communication is performed, at which initiation of communication often is made from user environment to external environment. At this communication, said analysis parameters are measured at the same time both in the user environment and in the external environment/environments, at which disturbances in the communication system can be located by comparison between measured values in the user environment and in external environment/environments. The mentioned parameters consist of answer time and accessibility.

Description

Device, use and procedure to measure answer times and access in system with interconnected computers.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a device and a procedure to measure answer times and acccess at communication in a communication system consisting of workplace equipments and computers which are interconnected in some kind of communication network.

PRIOR ART

There are a number of patent documents which describe different solutions to measure answer times in computer systems.

By the American patent document 5 109 350 is shown a system which includes interface between a computer and a workstation. A device in the interface stores user generated information and computer answer and times in connection to that.

Further is in the American patent document 5 228 066 a system and a method for measurement of time interval in a computer system described. Measurement is performed of minimum time interval and maximum time interval for the answer times of the system elements.

The American patent document 4 982 349 relates to a system for answer time analysis for a terminal system connected to a host processor where the answer time measurement equipment is connected between a host computer and a personal computer.

Also the American patent document 4930093 shows a system for measurement of answer times with a central unit and a terminal.

The previously known solutions, however, shows a number of disadvantages, among other things these solutions do not give a distinct indication of whether long answer times depends on deficiencies in workplace equipment, computers or networks located in between.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

TECHNICAL PROBLEM

In modern companies today computers are often used in different connections. Computers are usually used to process information in different ways in different types of application programs. The information, data etc, which is used in these programs sometimes need to be gathered from other computers or databases.

The computer construction and system solution which usually existed further back in time, most often was a system solution which was based on a mainframe which was delivered by one of the big contractors in the market. The machine was developed by the same contractor which had made the operating system and the programs . To develop new systems and applications took a long time and was expensive.

With the introduction of the minicomputer, the computer technology became more rapid and lighter, and at the same time it became even more accessible, but the centralization remained. Still one contractor, total control and high costs.

In the modern office, workstations, such as for instance personal computers, are interconnected by means of different types of servers containing common resources. This technology is often called client/server-technology.

Personal computers or workplace equipments are linked together in computer networks to share data, applications, files, data power, memory capacity etc. By the use of network servers this sharing of resources is facilitated. The server can among other things include a relation database which stores and possibly processes data. Its resources can be shared by a number of workplace equipments and computers which are often referred to as clients. When one, via a client or as ordinary terminal user, operates towards some type of exernal computer via some type of communication method, one as a user experiences that it sometimes will take long time before the external computer system provides the information or data which is asked for. Further, one sometimes thinks that it will take too long time before one gets access to the system. This means that one as a user becomes frustrated and often draws the conclusion that it is the external computer or the system that has poor capacity. However, there may be a badly configurated communication network between the user's workstation equipment and the external environment. Then it may be the way of communication (for instance local network, point-to-point circuits, TCP/IP-networks, X.25- netrworks etc) that is the reason for the long answer times and that the accessibility is experienced as bad. It may also be that it is the external datapower that is the reason for getting the long answer times when they theroretically should be short.

One aim with the invention consequently is to make one in relation to the prior art improved and simplified procedure to measure answer times and accessibility, at different system solutions, when a workplace equipment directly or via communication network is connected to an external environment with there existing computer or computers.

Another aim is to make a device in a communication system which in a simple and reliable way gives possibility to analyse answer times and accessibility in said system and act as an analysis instrument to identify in which part of said communication system one has problems which result in long answer times and/or poor accessability.

THE SOLUTION

The above mentioned aims are reached by the invention showing the in the following patent claims stated characteristics. The principal characteristics of the invention is a procedure to measure analysis parameters in communication systems with interconnected computers which includes a user environment with communication equipment, and one or more external environments with communication equipment and one or more communication networks between said user environment and said external environment. Initiation of communication is often made from user environment to external environments, at which said analysis parameters are measured both in user environment and in external environment/environments, at which disturbances in the communication system can be located by comparison between measured values in user environment and in external environment/environments.

Further, the analysis parameters consist of answer time and accessibility, and the measurement is performed at the same point of time by means of at least one measurement station connected to the communications network in the same way as the user equipment. The answer time in the user environment is measured by belonging measurement station and, further, system time is measured by a measurement station at the external computer, alternatively external host computer/server system.

According to a further aspect of the invention, the invention is a use of accessibility and answer times as analysis parameters to identify a poor network configuration, at which the answer times are obtained from at least two measurement computers which are run in parallell in a certain application towards an external computer, at which the difference in answer time value and successful access attempts makes a base for said identification.

According to another aspect of the invention, the invention is a device at computer system including a workplace equipment including for instance user computer which under normal operation is used by an operator, at which said user computer is connected to, for instance, a local LAN (Local Network) which via a communication network is connected to one or more host computers which allow that information can be distributed from said host computers to connected user computers, at which at both user computer and host computer directly or via LAN a measurement device which measures answer times and/or accessibility are connected. ADVANTAGES

By the invention a number of advantages are achieved. In the first place a simple and cost effective way of performing a measurement of answer time and accessibility, making an indication possible about where in the system solution there may problems, is achieved.

Further, the invention implies that one can get an objective measurement at the same time as a user application is run.

The invention also entails that the measurement is performed without the user in any way being disturbed in his/her work.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

The invention will now be described by means of not restricted examples of embodiment and with references to enclosed, schematically performed drawings. In the drawing is;

Figure 1 showing a schematic representation of a system concept according to the invention.

Figure 2 showing a schematic drawing of a part of the system concept with a variant of measurement station with including function modules connected to a host computer.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to Figure 1 is shown a system concept where communication equipment 1 is located in a user environment and where cc- Tvunication equipment 6 are located in an external environment. TJ ?■ communication equipments can consist of in the market existing cc '.cers or the like, which communicate with each other via some type of communication methods 3 (for instance local network, point- to-point-circuits, TCP/IP-network, X.25-network etc) . b

A measurement station 4 is connected at said user equipment via local LAN 5. Said LAN is in its turn connected to one ore more computers in the external environment via communication network 3.

Further, in the Figure are shown three measurement stations located at external environments which each via a local LAN of its own (LAN 1,2,3) or directly connected, are connected to the host computers/servers 6 which are located in said environment. The measurement stations can consist of conventional computers.

In Figure 2 are shown the function modules in the measurement device which are required for the understanding of the invention, to describe how the measurement device cooperates in the system to realize the idea of the invention.

The way of function of these function modules or devices can be realized by assembling electronic components in a way that wanted function is obtained, or the way of function can be obtained by the measurement device being programmed to perform the functions which are wanted.

The measurement device consists of functions for collecting and storing of measurement data.

Under collection of measurement data the following three components are cooperating in the measurement equipment.

STM, Answer time measurement and accessibility measurement application.

- TE, Emulation of the user's user interface.

Database, Measurement data and instruction database.

Of these are in the normal case STM and TE located in the measurement equipment, at which the data base can be located outside the measurement equipment.

The meaurement of answer time can be performed in the following way. When a user intends to communicate with an external computer via some type of application program, the same program is also started in the measurement station, and the mesurement station performs in parallell the same thing as the user computer.

The measurement station then measures how long time it will take before one for instance obtains an answer on an enquiry to an external computer. In the same way a measurement station located at the external computer equipment starts and measures how long time it will take before it receives the same answer. At comparison between the times which have been registered at the different measurement stations, different conclusions can be drawn.

If the measured answer time at the measurement station in the user environment is much longer than the measured time in the external environment, one in most cases can draw the conclusion that it is the configuration of the network that gives longer answer times.

In the case the answer times are approximately equal from both measurement places, but one thinks that the time is too long, this will probably be due to badly configurated/designed computer system.

When the accessibility is measured the measurement station is run in user environment and the measurement station in the external environment at the same time towards the host computer, at which the accessibility (when the measurement station receives answer from chosen application in the external computer system) is registered in the measurement stations.

In connection with measurements, answer time measurement and accessibility measurement applications are activated in the measurement station. This enters topical specifications for a selected measurement case from the instruction part in the database via ODBC or another protocol with corresponding function. Based on these specifications, the answer time measurement and accessibility measurement application starts the user program ware (for instance a terminal emulator or a client application) and establishes an internal process communication (DDE or another protocol with corresponding function) with this. Answer time measurement and accessibility measurement applications act as a virtual user for this program ware och gives instructions towards chosen "application" according to the specifications which are drawn from the database. When measurement starts, the answer time measurement and accessibility measurement applications start a clock, and the transactions for which measurements are wanted are transmitted to the "user program ware" . When the last character in the answer has reached the user program ware, the answer time measurement and accessibility measurement applications stop the clock, calculates the answer time and stores the result together with time and day - the clock in the measurement station or in the externally located result part of the database.

This procedure is controlled with regard to which time of the twenty- four hours measurements shall be performed, with which periodicity measurements shall be performed, and which "applications" the measurements relate to, all according to stored specifications for chosen measurement case in the database. The specifications are stored in the database via support functions in answer time measurement and accessibility measurement application.

Account of measurement data is performed in diagram form via a calculation program of type MS Excel, which can be located externally or in the measurement equipment, at which both answer times and accessibility are accounted for. Measurement data is drawn from the result part of the database via ODBC or another protocol with corresponding function. At presentation of measurement data results for user located measurement equipment are compared with equipment placed in front of external environments (servers etc) .

The invention is not restricted to the shown examples of embodiment, but can be varied in just any way within the frame of the idea of the invention, such as it is defined in the following patent claims. The invention can for instance be realized by program ware in the measurement station being implemented in the user's workplace equipment, at which no separate measurement station is required at the user equipment.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Procedure to measure analysis parameters in system with interconnected computers including a user environment with communication equipment and one or more external environments with communication equipment, and one or more communication networks between said user environment and said external environment, at which initiation of communication is often made from user environment to external environments, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said analysis parameters are measured both in user environment and in external environment/environments, at which disturbances in the communication system can be located by comparison of measured values in user environment and in external environment/environments.

2. Procedure acccording to patent claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the analysis parameters consist of answer time and accessibility.

3. Procedure acccording to patent claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the measurement is performed while identical programs are executed at the different measurement stations at the same point of time by means of at least one measurement station connected to the communication network in the same way as the user equipment, at which answer time in user environment is measured and at least one measurement station at the external computer, alternatively external host computer/server-system, at which system time is measured.

4. Procedure acccording to patent claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the measurement is performed while identical program are executed at the different measurement stations at the same time interval by means of at least one measurement station connected to the communication network in the same way as the user equipment, and at least one measurement station at the external computer, alternatively external host computer/server system, at which system time is measured.

5. Procedure acccording to any of the previous patent claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that answer times and accessibility are logged in a measurement station in user environment, and answer times and accessibility are logged for measurement station in external environment which together constitute sets of result.

6. Procedure acccording to patent claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said sets of results are compared, at which system time, network time and accessibility can be identified.

7. Procedure acccording to any of the previous patent claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the accessibility is calculated from the number of successful access attempts towards the host computer.

8. Procedure acccording to any of the previous patent claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that long answer times at user environment, and short answer times at external environment, gives indication of that the configuration of the communication network should be modified or that the configuration of the workplace equipment should be modified.

9. Procedure acccording to any of the previous patent claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that long answer times at user environment and long answer times at external environment give indication of that the external computer system should be modified.

10. Use of accessibility and answer times as analysis parameters to identify a poor network configuration at which the answer times are obtained from at least two measurement stations which are run in parallell in a certain application towards an external computer, at which the difference in answer time value and successful access attempts provide basis for the analysis.

11. Device at computer system including a workplace equipment including for instance user computer which under normal operation is used by an operator at which said user computer is connected to for instance a local LAN (local network) which via a communication network is connected to one or more host computers which allow that information can be distributed from said host computers to connected user computers, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that at both user computer and host computer directly or via LAN a measurement device, which measures answer times and/or accessibility, is connected.

12. Procedure acccording to patent claim 11, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the measurement device consists of a computer including device for answer time measurement and accessibility measurement, and device for emulation of the user's user interface and database device for measurement data and instructions.

13. Device acccording to any of the previous patent claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the whole or parts of the functionality of the measurement station is implemented in program ware in the workplace equipment.